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Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: To achieve technological leadership, it is necessary to develop priority areas in personnel training

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko held a meeting of the Commission on Scientific and Technological Development (S&TD).

    It was attended by Deputy Chairperson of the State Duma Victoria Abramchenko, Deputy Ministers of Science and Higher Education Denis Sekirinsky and Andrey Omelchuk, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov, Head of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency Veronika Skvortsova, Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai Mikhail Kotyukov, Head of Rospatent Yuri Zubov, representatives of other ministries and organizations, heads of regions and deputy heads of subjects responsible for scientific and technological development of industries and regions.

    The meeting discussed the main measures and instruments of state policy in the field of scientific and technological development, including the results of the implementation of the state program “Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation”, the indicators of which were fully met by the end of 2024.

    In particular, the Russian Federation ranks 8th in the world in terms of volume of scientific research and development, including through the creation of an effective system of higher education. The final assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of all state programs will be carried out by the Ministry of Economic Development.

    The meeting also noted the successful completion of the national project “Science and Universities” in 2024, with all its indicators achieved. Over 5 years, it covered 76 regions, 991 universities, 1,584 research organizations, attracted 340 scientists and 4.17 million students. The implementation of the national project has become a key factor in achieving development goals and in determining new priorities, including technological leadership and increasing domestic research spending to 2% of GDP.

    Over the past 2 years, we have managed to overcome the negative trend in the reduction of the number of personnel employed in research and development. In 2024, 500 postgraduate students became winners of the presidential scholarship competition, the amount of which is 75 thousand rubles per month.

    More than 200 laboratories have been created under the leadership of young scientists, including 30 in new regions. In total, more than 940 laboratories are currently operating in Russia.

    An important area of state policy is the development of scientific infrastructure. Efforts are focused on the development of megascience class installations, such as the SKIF synchrotron, created using domestic equipment.

    Over the past 6 years, about 300 universities and research organizations have updated their equipment base, and about 30 thousand units of equipment have been purchased. This has allowed the technical base to be updated by more than 60%. An important step was the approval of the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. The development of the “Science” domain and the involvement of regions in scientific projects continues.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko also instructed that work on the formation of a single list of priority professions and specialties to ensure scientific and technological development be carried out as soon as possible.

    “President Vladimir Putin has set a national goal – technological leadership, which requires an influx of qualified personnel into strategically important industries. We need to determine priority areas of training, attract motivated students and stimulate them. Thus, it is planned to distribute at least 50% of budget places through government procurement, provide preferential educational loans for students who have chosen priority specialties,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

    At the end of the commission meeting, Dmitry Chernyshenko announced the creation of an interdepartmental working group (IWG) on issues of developing secondary vocational education (SVE). The decision to create the IWG was made earlier following the commission’s instructions and during government hour in the State Duma on the initiative of its Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted that when choosing the head of the International Working Group, the opinion of Vyacheslav Volodin was taken into account: the leadership of the group was entrusted to Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Victoria Abramchenko.

    “The key task of the IWG will be to build effective interaction with the regions and coordinate their efforts in the field of secondary vocational education. Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of the needs of each entity for personnel and resources for the secondary vocational education system, including production sites, plans of state corporations, the number of students, equipment of colleges and training of teachers,” emphasized Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    He added that the IWG will have to develop specific solutions to support secondary vocational education, including teacher retraining programs.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tatyana Golikova took part in the annual all-Russian scientific and practical conference “From the Year of the Family to the Century of the Family”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The All-Russian scientific and practical conference “From the Year of the Family to the Century of the Family” was held at the international information agency “Russia Today”. The conference was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Central Federal District Igor Shchegolev, Head of the Presidential Administration for Public Projects Sergei Novikov, Minister of Transport Roman Starovoit, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Defense Anna Tsivileva, Chairperson of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Liliya Gumerova. The conference was organized by the D.I. Mendeleev Institute of Demographic Policy.

    “Supporting families, preserving health, and preserving the population is the main national goal defined by the President of our country, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. To achieve it, we need a steady increase in the birth rate. The well-being of Russia depends on how many of us there are and at what rate we grow. The result of the Year of the Family was that the total fertility rate in 2024 was maintained at the 2023 level – 1.4. In 18 regions, an increase in the birth rate is recorded, including in those where this indicator had previously declined. In addition, last year, the growth in the birth of third and subsequent children was maintained – by 1.1%. Over the past two years, the number of large families and children in them has increased by 1.2 times,” said Tatyana Golikova.

    Last year, the Government approved the Strategy of Actions for the implementation of family and demographic policies, support for large families until 2036. On January 1, 2025, the national project “Family” was launched, including measures to support young, large families, the older generation, develop children’s healthcare, strengthen reproductive health, and promote family values.

    The Decree of the President of Russia “On social support for large families” established the permanent status of a large family and retained the right of regions to expand this category. In 40 regions, decisions have already been made to provide support measures for large families without taking into account the criteria of need.

    Since October 1, 2024, thanks to the created register of large families, the issuance of an electronic certificate has been launched without collecting additional documents. To date, more than 1.6 million electronic certificates have been issued.

    Since 2022, the title of “Mother Heroine” has been revived; in terms of the level of social guarantees, it is equal to the title of Hero of Labor.

    It is important to pay special attention to preserving the reproductive health of the population and working with women in a situation of reproductive choice. For this purpose, since 2024, the program of state guarantees has included medical examination of the adult population to assess reproductive health. A serious task for the regions is to increase the popularity of reproductive medical examination among residents.

    At the same time, work on preserving already conceived lives – reducing the number of abortions – is extremely important. A set of measures of legal, psychological, medical and social assistance to women in the situation of reproductive choice has been developed. Thanks to this, more than 41 thousand pregnancies were saved last year.

    The quality and availability of medical care in small towns and rural areas is improving. Within the framework of the national project “Family”, 336 additional women’s consultations will be created, 142 perinatal centers, maternity hospitals and 180 children’s hospitals will be modernized, children’s clinics will be equipped with 536 mobile medical complexes.

    Particular attention is paid to promoting family values, creating conditions for family leisure, creativity, sports, modernization of cultural centers, regional theaters, museums, libraries, and clubs.

    In addition, measures are being taken to successfully combine professional development with the birth and upbringing of children.

    Over the past two years, insurance guarantees for working women have been significantly expanded, including an increase in the maximum benefit amounts. In 2025, the amount of maternity benefits and monthly child care benefits increased by 1.4 times compared to 2024. The right to child care benefits for up to one and a half years in the event of early return to work of a parent has been retained.

    To develop corporate social and demographic policy, a corporate demographic standard was developed, which was adopted at the end of last year by the Russian Tripartite Commission for the Regulation of Social and Labor Relations and is now recommended for implementation in the practice of enterprises and organizations.

    Attention is paid to supporting student families. Universities are opening support centers for them, creating conditions for living together in dormitories, including for spouses from different universities, opening short-term stay groups for children and mother-and-child rooms, and developing the practice of transferring young mothers-students from paid education to a budget place.

    “For the birth of a child, it is important to have confidence in the future, in a job with a growing salary, in the prospective development of the city or town where the family lives – the creation of new jobs, a comfortable and safe environment, improvement of social infrastructure. Therefore, everything that is done in the regions should be family-oriented. Issues of construction of residential and social facilities, transport accessibility, ecology – each project implemented should be aimed at creating favorable conditions for families, so that there are more of us, Russians,” said Tatyana Golikova.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Innovation fuels high-quality development of China’s private enterprises

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, April 24 — Chinese private enterprises have embarked on a high-quality development path driven by strong innovation capabilities spanning various sectors, experts and entrepreneurs said during the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.

    Private enterprises and entrepreneurs are stepping up efforts to promote the integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, said Liu Min, deputy head of the private economy development bureau under the National Development and Reform Commission.

    Traditional industries are constantly evolving toward high-end, intelligent and green development, she said. Strategic emerging industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), robots, commercial aerospace and biomedicine, as well as the cultural industry, are seeing innovative achievements sprout — with expanding application scenarios and a growing market, she noted.

    Official data shows that the output of industrial robots and service robots, a relatively high proportion of which are produced by private enterprises, surged by 26 percent and 20 percent, respectively, year on year in the first three months of 2025.

    “The private economy is at the forefront of science and technology innovation,” said Zhu Min, a member of the Senior Expert Advisory Committee of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges. He cited examples such as electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products — all sectors where private enterprises play a leading role.

    Noting that China has high expectations regarding the role of AI-related private enterprises in its technological advancement, Tan Limin, president of WestWell, an autonomous-driving developer, said his company is determined to achieve more in scientific and technological innovation.

    He expressed the hope that the benefits of technological advancements will reach every part of the country.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Andrey Rudskoy spoke at a meeting of the Council of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg hosted a meeting of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly Council. The event was opened by the Chairperson of the CIS IPA Council, Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko. Valentina Ivanovna noted the representative composition of the meeting and thanked the heads of delegations for their personal participation in the session.

    “This is all the more important since the central place in it is given to events connected with a date sacred to all of us – the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory,” the speaker of the Federation Council emphasized.

    During the meeting, the Chairman of the Expert Council on Science and Education at the IPA CIS, Rector of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrei Rudskoy presented information on the work of the council he heads.

    Andrey Ivanovich noted that the Expert Council carries out expert and scientific-analytical activities, evaluates and develops draft model laws and recommendations, and discusses issues of international cooperation in science, education and technology, innovation and regulatory integration. Andrey Rudskoy emphasized that the members of the Expert Council are actively involved in organizing the International School Olympiad and the international conference “Russian Language – the Basis of Integration Dialogue in the Commonwealth of Independent States”, and are working on preparing the International Scientific and Educational Congress of the CIS Member States. The heads of the delegations familiarized themselves with the full report on the activities of the Expert Council, presented in the meeting materials, during the report.

    Chairperson of the CIS IPA Council Valentina Matvienko thanked Andrey Rudskoy for the work he had done, noting his personal contribution to resolving issues of model lawmaking and interaction with the Commonwealth countries in the field of science and education.

    Photo: https: //iakis.ru/

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How do children learn to read? This literacy expert says ‘there are as many ways as there are students’

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By K. Dara Hill, Professor of Reading and Language Arts, University of Michigan-Dearborn

    Not all children learn to read in the same way, but schools tend to adopt a single approach to literacy. luckyvector/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Five years after the pandemic forced children into remote instruction, two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders still cannot read at grade level. Reading scores lag 2 percentage points below 2022 levels and 4 percentage points below 2019 levels.

    This data from the 2024 report of National Assessment of Educational Progress, a state-based ranking sometimes called “America’s report card,” has concerned educators scrambling to boost reading skills.

    Many school districts have adopted an evidence-based literacy curriculum called the “science of reading” that features phonics as a critical component.

    Phonics strategies begin by teaching children to recognize letters and make their corresponding sounds. Then they advance to manipulating and blending first-letter sounds to read and write simple, consonant-vowel-consonant words – such as combining “b” or “c” with “-at” to make “bat” and “cat.” Eventually, students learn to merge more complex word families and to read them in short stories to improve fluency and comprehension.

    Proponents of the curriculum celebrate its grounding in brain science, and the science of reading has been credited with helping Louisiana students outperform their pre-pandemic reading scores last year.

    In practice, Louisiana used a variety of science of reading approaches beyond phonics. That’s because different students have different learning needs, for a variety of reasons.

    Yet as a scholar of reading and language who has studied literacy in diverse student populations, I see many schools across the U.S. placing a heavy emphasis on the phonics components of the science of reading.

    If schools want across-the-board gains in reading achievement, using one reading curriculum to teach every child isn’t the best way. Teachers need the flexibility and autonomy to use various, developmentally appropriate literacy strategies as needed.

    Phonics fails some students

    Phonics programs often require memorizing word families in word lists. This works well for some children: Research shows that “decoding” strategies such as phonics can support low-achieving readers and learners with dyslexia.

    However, some students may struggle with explicit phonics instruction, particularly the growing population of neurodivergent learners with autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These students learn and interact differently than their mainstream peers in school and in society. And they tend to have different strengths and challenges when it comes to word recognition, reading fluency and comprehension.

    This was the case with my own child. He had been a proficient reader from an early age, but struggles emerged when his school adopted a phonics program to balance out its regular curriculum, a flexible literature-based curriculum called Daily 5 that prioritizes reading fluency and comprehension.

    I worked with his first grade teacher to mitigate these challenges. But I realized that his real reading proficiency would likely not have been detected if the school had taught almost exclusively phonics-based reading lessons.

    Another weakness of phonics, in my experience, is that it teaches reading in a way that is disconnected from authentic reading experiences. Phonics often directs children to identify short vowel sounds in word lists, rather than encounter them in colorful stories. Evidence shows that exposing children to fun, interesting literature promotes deep comprehension.

    Balanced literacy

    To support different learning styles, educators can teach reading in multiple ways. This is called balanced literacy, and for decades it was a mainstay in teacher preparation and in classrooms.

    Balanced literacy prompts children to learn words encountered in authentic literature during guided, teacher-led read-alouds – versus learning how to decode words in word lists. Teachers use multiple strategies to promote reading acquisition, such as blending the letter sounds in words to support “decoding” while reading.

    Another balanced literacy strategy that teachers can apply in phonics-based strategies while reading aloud is called “rhyming word recognition.” The rhyming word strategy is especially effective with stories whose rhymes contribute to the deeper meaning of the story, such as Marc Brown’s “Arthur in a Pickle.”

    The rhyming structure of ‘Arthur in a Pickle’ helps children learn to read entire words, versus word parts.

    After reading, teachers may have learners arrange letter cards to form words, then tap the letter cards while saying and blending each sound to form the word. Similar phonics strategies include tracing and writing letters to form words that were encountered during reading.

    There is no one right way to teach literacy in a developmentally appropriate, balanced literacy framework. There are as many ways as there are students.

    What a truly balanced curriculum looks like

    The push for the phonics-based component of the science of reading is a response to the discrediting of the Lucy Calkins Reading Project, a balanced literacy approach that uses what’s called “cueing” to teach young readers. Teachers “cue” students to recognize words with corresponding pictures and promote guessing unfamiliar words while reading based on context clues.

    A 2024 class action lawsuit filed by Massachusetts families claimed that this faulty curriculum and another cueing-based approach called Fountas & Pinnell had failed readers for four decades, in part because they neglect scientifically backed phonics instruction.

    But this allegation overlooks evidence that the Calkins curriculum worked for children who were taught basic reading skills at home. And a 2021 study in Georgia found modest student achievement gains of 2% in English Language Arts test scores among fourth graders taught with the Lucy Calkins method.

    Nor is the method unscientific. Using picture cues with corresponding words is supported by the predictable language theory of literacy.

    This approach is evident in Eric Carle’s popular children’s books. Stories such as the “Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you See?” have vibrant illustrations of animals and colors that correspond with the text. The pictures support children in learning whole words and repetitive phrases, suchg as, “But he was still hungry.”

    Teacher-led read-alouds have been a mainstay learn-to-read activity in U.S. classrooms for decades.
    H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images

    The intention here is for learners to acquire words in the context of engaging literature. But critics of Calkins contend that “cueing” during reading is a guessing game. They say readers are not learning the fundamentals necessary to identify sounds and word families on their way to decoding entire words and sentences.

    As a result, schools across the country are replacing traditional learn-to-read activities tied to balanced literacy approaches with the science of reading. Since its inception in 2013, the phonics-based curriculum has been adopted by 40 states and the Disctrict of Columbia.

    Recommendations for parents, educators and policymakers

    The most scientific way to teach reading, in my opinion, is by not applying the same rigid rules to every child. The best instruction meets students where they are, not where they should be.

    Here are five evidence-based tips to promote reading for all readers that combine phonics, balanced literacy and other methods.

    1. Maintain the home-school connection. When schools send kids home with developmentally appropriate books and strategies, it encourages parents to practice reading at home with their kids and develop their oral reading fluency. Ideally, reading materials include features that support a diversity of learning strategies, including text, pictures with corresponding words and predictable language.

    2. Embrace all reading. Academic texts aren’t the only kind of reading parents and teachers should encourage. Children who see menus, magazines and other print materials at home also acquire new literacy skills.

    3. Make phonics fun. Phonics instruction can teach kids to decode words, but the content is not particularly memorable. I encourage teachers to teach phonics on words that are embedded in stories and texts that children absolutely love.

    4. Pick a series. High-quality children’s literature promotes early literacy achievement. Texts that become increasingly more complex as readers advance, such as the “Arthur” step-into-reading series, are especially helpful in developing reading comprehension. As readers progress through more complex picture books, caregivers and teachers should read aloud the “Arthur” novels until children can read them independently. Additional popular series that grow with readers include “Otis,” “Olivia,” “Fancy Nancy” and “Berenstain Bears.”

    5. Tutoring works. Some readers will struggle despite teachers’ and parents’ best efforts. In these cases, intensive, high-impact tutoring can help. Sending students to one session a week of at least 30 minutes is well documented to help readers who’ve fallen behind catch up to their peers. Many nonprofit organizations, community centers and colleges offer high-impact tutoring.

    K. Dara Hill does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How do children learn to read? This literacy expert says ‘there are as many ways as there are students’ – https://theconversation.com/how-do-children-learn-to-read-this-literacy-expert-says-there-are-as-many-ways-as-there-are-students-246468

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tested on the ground: Scientists from the State University of Management conducted research as part of a major scientific project

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    From April 22 to 25, research fellows from the State University of Management Dmitry Rybakov, Ilya Shponarsky and Vladimir Kutkov, together with colleagues from the Omsk Agrarian Scientific Center (OANC), are conducting joint work to create a prototype of a digital service for coordinating modern agricultural production.

    As part of the implementation of a major scientific project, a working group on the territory of the scientific and production enterprise “Boyevoe” in the Omsk region conducted design studies to identify the needs for target modules of the developed platform and determine the parameters of integration with the information systems of the OANC.

    The major scientific project “Ensuring food security of the country based on the creation of software and hardware systems and intelligent platform digital solutions in the field of development of agro-industrial technologies of the full life cycle” is being implemented within the framework of a grant from the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia for conducting major scientific projects in priority areas of scientific and technological development in 2024-2026.

    Let us recall that at the meeting of the consortium for the implementation of a major scientific project, areas of cooperation with project co-executors in the field of mechanical engineering technologies, reverse engineering, development and implementation of technological processes for applying wear-resistant coatings, as well as prospects for creating advanced digital services and new types of modern import-substituting products for the agricultural sector were identified.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/24/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis: ‘ethical helmsman’ whose feel for international relations steered church in turbulent times

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sara Silvestri, Senior Lecturer & UG Programme Director, Department of International Politics, City St George’s, University of London

    I met Pope Francis in 2016. It was part of a symposium of the former Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People (now recast by Francis as the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development). I presented some of my work on migration – as attention to migrants and refugees was a central theme of his pontificate, more prominently than for his predecessor, whom I had also met a few years earlier.

    After the conference proceedings, we had an official audience, next to the Sistine Chapel: Francis made a speech and we greeted him one by one. I had my 21 month-old daughter with me that day, thinking of the rare opportunity we would both enjoy.

    But I’d underestimated the length of the formalities involved. My daughter screamed “Open the doors, let me out!” through the whole of the pope’s speech. I was distraught, but Francis responded very gently to the disruption. He stopped in the middle of the speech and commented how sweet and lovely it was to hear the voice of a child. I could feel it was not just a platitude – he meant it.

    In the disarray that is current global politics, with the world wracked by conflict and injustice, the papacy of Francis I has been a beacon of hope.

    In a world that appears to be rearranging itself around the principle that might is right, where the whims and the prejudices of strongmen leaders are blindly followed by millions, he represented the most important ethical helm there is. He did this not by taking on ideological positions but by sticking in a steadfast manner to his message that mercy trumps bullies and that compassion will always prevail over hatred.

    The image of Francis delivering a sermon from a pulpit designed to look like a ship’s helm when he visited the island of Lampedusa in 2013 strikes me as very symbolic of his papacy. In his first official trip as pope, Francis drew attention to the marginalised, migrants and refugees inspired by the parable of the good Samaritan. But he did so not in a way that patronised migrants as victims or reduced the church to a humanitarian agency.

    He launched into a loud condemnation of the economic and political structures that forced those people on to boats. He railed against the people and conditions that effectively enabled those deaths in the huge cemetery that the Mediterranean has become. Expressing his “closeness” to migrants and determined to “challenge our consciences” and the “globalisation of indifference”, he warned we are all complicit in Cain’s killing of his brother.

    Critics may carp that he hasn’t really effected any significant change within or outside the church. That while moves were made towards reforms of church attitudes towards women priests and LGBTQ+ issues, real progress has still to be achieved.

    That despite his appeals, death keeps swallowing human lives in the Mediterranean and in conflict zones. Despite his championing of environmental causes, forests are still burning.

    But it was not his job to run global politics. While he was, technically, a head of state of Vatican City, he did not see himself as a politician. The instructions for his funeral reiterate this: simple, “as a disciple of Christ” and not like “the powerful of the world”.

    He saw his role as a spiritual shepherd trying to serve and protect his flock. His vision of Christianity was about mercy and freedom of conscience, with the church’s place close to the “existential peripheries” of the world, not to the centres of power.

    His final message, delivered on Easter Day 2025, is particularly telling. It states: “Evil has not disappeared from history; it will remain until the end, but it no longer has the upper hand; it no longer has power over those who accept the grace of this day.”

    This in my view sums up the enormous power that Francis unstintingly asserted among Catholics: the power of unconditional love and mercy – not in an idealised form, but well aware of the presence of evil in the world and respectful of individual freedom.

    Reaching across faiths

    Because of his courage and the political-but-non-political position that enabled him to speak of ethical issues at the heart of political decisions, Francis became widely respected by religious and political leaders. He was loved by ordinary people from all walks of life and, importantly, belief systems, although some were puzzled by his informal style.

    In 2019 he made a joint declaration with the imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, entitled Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. This, and his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti, which is subtitled “on fraternity and social friendship”, gave impetus to inter-faith dialogue. As he put it: “God has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and has called them to live together as brothers and sisters.”

    The last push Francis gave to the Church between 2021 and 2024 was the Synod on Synodality. This was a major enterprise which aimed to revive the sense of global community of believers and witnesses. It stressed the importance of praying together and exercising discernment in important decisions by acknowledging diversity, listening to each other and to the Holy Spirit.

    Interpersonal communication and embracing mercy in order to achieve the common good were two key themes of Francis’ pontificate. He was concerned with the dangers of our individualistic “throwaway culture” and aware of the contradictions of a globalised world where loneliness prevails.

    Francis did not solve the problem of carbon emissions, he did not stop wars in Ukraine, Palestine or Yemen. He did not make women priests or deacons, and did not fully embrace the LGBTQ+ community, despite some initial inching towards this.

    But he made a space to reflect about all those issues, removing the church from a pedestal, centring it on the joyful message of the Gospel and “bringing it out” to all the people – Catholics and non Catholics alike.

    That, in itself, is an immense achievement in the long history and slow transformation of the church.

    Dr Sara Silvestri is Senior Lecturer in International Politics at City, St George’s University of London where she teaches religion and politics and runs the Europe research cluster. She is also a Bye Fellow of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge University, is affiliated with the Interfaith Research Programme in the Divinity Faculty, University of Cambridge, and is a Trustee of the Council on Christian Approaches to Defence and Disarmament. Sara Silvestri has received funding from ESRC, British Academy, Luce Foundation, the King Baudouin Foundation, the Plater Trust, Caritas Internationalis, the European Commission.

    – ref. Pope Francis: ‘ethical helmsman’ whose feel for international relations steered church in turbulent times – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-ethical-helmsman-whose-feel-for-international-relations-steered-church-in-turbulent-times-255153

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Runner’s gut: why some marathon runners find themselves sprinting to the toilet instead of the finish line

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

    Running a marathon is no small feat. Athletes can expect to cover between 50-60,000 steps, burn over 3,000 calories and expel multiple litres of sweat to keep cool.

    Marathons and other long distance events can be associated with several dangers – including dehydration, electrolyte imbalances and heatstroke. All important reasons as to why it’s crucial to train adequately for the big day, and come prepared.

    But there’s another condition that can affect long distance runners – one that can be more than a little embarrassing.

    It comes under many guises: runner’s trots, runner’s gut, runner’s stomach, runner’s runs. What we’re referring to is the overactive gastrointestinal tract brought on by the whole-body effects of running. This results in urgent, sometimes explosive diarrhoea.

    Runner’s diarrhoea is actually a triad of symptoms: diarrhoea, cramping abdominal discomfort plus a heightened urge to open your bowels. It’s actually more common than you think – with up to 96% of endurance runners reportedly experiencing some sort of gastrointestinal symptom during a race.

    In most cases, runner’s trots are not considered concerning, especially if the condition is adequately managed as you would any episode of acute diarrhoea – with fluid and electrolyte replenishment. But in some extreme cases, there have been signs of blood in the runner’s faeces. This suggests that in some people, the condition may be caused by mechanical damage to the bowel – perhaps as a result of this organ being sloshed around in the abdomen during a long run.

    Why it happens

    But what causes it in the first place? We aren’t entirely sure, but most experts have established several different causes which might play a role in generating these symptoms.

    The first clue may lie within the blood supply. When you start to exercise, your body shifts its attention away from resting and digesting, and diverts blood to tissues and organs that need it more – namely the heart, lungs and muscles. Prolonged reduced blood flow to the gut could irritate and inflame its lining. This might also affect the bacterial colonies that reside within the gut. This may explain why a recent study suggests probiotics may work as a treatment.

    Other studies have considered the effect of nutrition upon gut activity. Certain foods are associated with increased gut activity and fermentation, such as protein, fat and fibre. This is why most runners avoid foods high in these before a long run, often consuming a breakfast which is higher in simple, easily digestible carbohydrates.

    There are many reasons why you might develop an overactive gastrointestinal tract while running a marathon.
    Michael Mong/ Shutterstock

    In addition, some of the other nutrients and substances we commonly use as a welcome boost for heavy exercise might be culprits. Take caffeine, for instance. These stimulants might boost our energy, but they can also have a laxative effect in some people.

    And carbs are not entirely without blame. Evidence suggests that some carbs can not only increase the speed at which foods move through the gastrointestinal tract, they can also cause fluid retention and fermentation within the gut, making diarrhoea and gas more likely. These include the lactose in cow’s milk products and high fructose fruits, such as apples, pears and grapes.

    Finally, it’s possible that an attack of the nerves may be (in part) to blame for the runs. Not only do stress and mood have associations with irritable bowel syndrome, it has also been suggested that psychological factors, such as anxiety, may be associated with runner’s diarrhoea.

    What can you do?

    Is there anything you can do to avoid needing the loo somewhere on your marathon route?

    Nutrition does seem to be key. Eat an energy-rich and familiar breakfast (one you know won’t bother your stomach) with the minimum of fibre, fat and protein. It’s not good to choose the day of a big event to challenge your gut with unfamiliar foods. One example might be a toasted bagel (or indeed plain white toast), or a low-fibre breakfast cereal, that’s based on rice or corn rather than bran. Fruits lower in fructose include strawberries, raspberries and bananas.

    Ideally, give your chosen breakfast a test drive before a training session to see what the effect is. In addition, separating your meal and the starting line by 2-3 hours gives the gut some time to get going on digestion, and to mobilise fuel for action.

    Hydration is important. Make sure not only to drink water, but replenish electrolytes as well since both water and sodium are easily lost in sweat. Consuming water or sports drinks in small but regular bursts can help alleviate the problem of needing the toilet.

    Perhaps one of the best ways to recognise and prevent runner’s diarrhoea is to sit back, observe and listen to your own body. Yet another reason why preparation is so important. Training for a marathon should take place over months, not days or weeks. This gives ample time to recognise gut symptoms, but also what might be triggering them.

    Some athletes find it useful to keep a diary, detailing symptoms and activity for the day, in order to spot trends more easily. You can also trial simple tactics, such as specific nutrition, hydration and training plans to see what effect they have. Everyone is different, and will respond to exercise and diet in different ways.

    In any event, if you get caught foul (sometimes quite literally) of runner’s trots, try to take a break, slow down and rehydrate. Also remember that most marathons have toilets at frequent intervals, in case the moment should grab you.

    Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Runner’s gut: why some marathon runners find themselves sprinting to the toilet instead of the finish line – https://theconversation.com/runners-gut-why-some-marathon-runners-find-themselves-sprinting-to-the-toilet-instead-of-the-finish-line-254419

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Themis of the 21st Century” united students from five universities

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Winners and Prize Winners

    On April 21, at the Faculty of Forensic Science and Law in Construction and Transport of the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, another “crime” was solved as part of the “Themis of the 21st Century” Olympiad.

    This year, the Olympiad “Themis of the 21st Century” became inter-university for the first time and was held in the format of a quest. Five teams participated in the quest: “Conclusions Don’t Burn” (SPbGASU), “Gatchina Gendarmes” (Gatchina State University), “Sledkom” (St. Petersburg Academy of the Investigative Committee), “Expert Element” (St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia), “Veshdok” (second name – “Expert Five”, St. Petersburg University of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia).

    The “Gatchina Gendarmes” were accompanied by fans who actively supported the guys throughout the event.

    “Today we are holding a knowledge festival, where you will be able to demonstrate your creative potential, ability to make unconventional decisions, team spirit and all those positive qualities that are not always possible to demonstrate during the educational process. I hope we will see a fair and beautiful game. May the strongest win!” – Dmitry Ivanov, Dean of the FSEiPST, encouraged the participants of the quest.

    Having exchanged traditional greetings, the teams began investigating the murder of an antique dealer and the mysterious disappearance of a 13th-century Byzantine icon. The students examined the crime scene, conducted a trace examination, questioned witnesses and built their own version of events. The quest resulted in the announcement of a verdict for the criminal, who fully acknowledged his guilt and repented.

    The announcement of the verdict allowed the teams to understand the correctness of the version put forward and, accordingly, the correctness of the completion of the final task.

    For each task, the jury awarded points to the teams. The jury included Associate Professor of the Forensic Science Department, Academic Secretary of the Faculty of the Federal Service for Economics and Social Development of the Russian Federation (FSESiPST) of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Elena Kuzbagarova, Associate Professor of the Criminal Law Disciplines Department of Gatchina State University Albina Bachieva, Lecturer of the Forensic Science and Research Department of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Nadezhda Gorbunova, Senior Lecturer of the Forensic Science and Engineering and Technical Expertise Department of the St. Petersburg University of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia Oleg Abramumov, Associate Professor of the Forensic Science Department of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Alexey Kopanev.

    Based on the results of completing the tasks, the gap between the teams was minimal: they were separated by two or three points, which indicates good preparation and the active role of the leaders.

    The places were distributed as follows:

    fifth place – “Material Evidence”; fourth place – “Gatchina Gendarmes”; third place – “Conclusions Don’t Burn”; second place – “Expert Element”; first place – “Investigative Committee”.

    The organizers awarded valuable gifts to the participants of the quest and those who were involved in it as actors – students of the Faculty of Social and Economic Development and Social Sciences of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Ekaterina Ryzhikova, Igor Stepanov, Maxim Semenov and Daria Kulabukhova.

    Students shared their opinions on what helped them solve the complex case and what the difficulties were.

    “Practical experience helped us. We had already been in practice, and felt more confident during interrogation. Theoretical knowledge, a good atmosphere at the event, and the team also helped – this is also important. We clearly understood who to assign what to, quickly distributed who does what,” said Sledkom team member Yuri Churintsev.

    “The main difficulty was that too little time was given to complete the tasks. But we will try to win next time,” promised the captain of the “Conclusions Don’t Burn” team, Ulyana Nasonova.

    The team leaders also expressed their gratitude for the invitation to participate in the Olympiad and the good organization. In particular, Albina Bachieva said: “Many thanks to the university for this wonderful day. We really liked the teams, each had its own highlight.”

    “We took an honorable fifth place. However, I think that next year we will participate in the Olympiad at the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the same composition and win a prize. Many thanks to the organizers of the quiz: everything went very well, at a high level of organization. You created a holiday for us and our cadets,” Oleg Abramumov noted.

    “Interesting format of the event, great teams, good preparation. I hope that in the future you will come to our events and invite us again,” said Nadezhda Gorbunova.

    Summing up the results, the jury chair Elena Kuzbagarova said that the Olympiad had become a kind of testing ground, allowing to identify the strengths of the participants and determine the directions for further development of science and practice: “Today’s Olympiad demonstrated the high level of preparedness of our students, demonstrated the best examples of a creative approach to solving complex professional problems. For students, participation in the Olympiad is an opportunity not only to test their knowledge in criminology, forensic examination, traceology, criminal procedure, but also to meet colleagues from other universities, expand their professional horizons, better prepare for future professional activity, increase self-esteem and self-confidence, and establish useful professional connections. I wish the participants success in their studies and future professional activity, new achievements and interesting discoveries. Let the knowledge gained become a solid foundation for your career and a guarantee of a successful future!”

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Competition for filling positions of faculty members

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    In accordance with Article 332 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation and in connection with the availability of vacant positions of professorial and teaching staff for the 2025/2026 academic year from September 1, 2025, the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering announces a competitive selection to fill the following positions:

    assistant; senior lecturer; associate professor; professor.

    By department:

    architectural and urban planning heritage; architectural design; architectural and building structures; water use and ecology; geodesy, land management and cadastres; geotechnics; urban planning; design of the architectural environment; reinforced concrete and stone structures; computer science; information systems and technologies; history and theory of architecture; history and philosophy; landscape architecture; mathematics; intercultural communication; construction management; metal and wooden structures; ground transport and technological machines; descriptive geometry and engineering graphics; construction organization; jurisprudence; legal regulation of urban planning and transport; drawing; structural mechanics; structural physics, electric power engineering and electrical engineering; forensic examinations; heat and gas supply and ventilation; technical operation of vehicles; construction production technology; technology of building materials and metrology; technosphere safety; transport systems and road and bridge construction; economics of construction and housing and communal services; economic security.

    The term for which an employment contract will be concluded for each of the above-mentioned positions to be filled, corresponding to the term of election by competition, is three years (until August 31, 2028).

    The competition procedure is determined by the order of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation dated December 4, 2023 No. 1138 “On approval of the Regulation on the procedure for filling the positions of teaching staff related to the faculty” and “Regulations on the organization and procedure for election by competition to positions of teaching staff at SPbGASU” (approved by the decision of the Academic Council of SPbGASU dated June 27, 2024, protocol No. 6 (as amended on April 24, 2025)).

    The qualification requirements are defined:

    The Unified Qualification Handbook of Positions of Managers, Specialists, and Employees (approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated January 11, 2011, No. 1n); the requirements for passing the competitive selection of the teaching staff of SPbGASU (approved by the decision of the Academic Council of SPbGASU dated June 27, 2024, protocol No. 6).

    To participate in the competitive selection, it is necessary to submit an application electronically through the personal account portal between April 24 and May 26, 2025 (HTTPS: // Portal.SPBGASU.ru/ – for employees of SPbGASU, HTTPS: //Conquispps.SPBGASU.ru/ – for applicants who are not employees of SPbGASU) the following documents:

    an application addressed to the rector of the university; a copy of the higher education document; a copy of the candidate/doctor of science diploma (if any); a copy of the associate professor/professor certificate (if any); documents confirming the length of service in scientific and pedagogical work (a certificate of teaching experience or a copy of the work record book, certified at the place of work) – for applicants who are not full-time employees of SPbGASU; a list of scientific and educational-methodical works for the last three years; consent to the processing of personal data; documents confirming the absence of restrictions on employment in the field of education (certificate of no criminal record).

    The procedure and deadlines for making changes to the terms of the competition, as well as its cancellation:

    Amendments to the terms of the competition, as well as its cancellation, are formalized by order of the rector until May 26, 2025.

    In case of a positive decision of the commission, the originals of the competition documents and educational documents are provided by the competition participant upon conclusion of an employment contract to the Human Resources Department from June 27 to August 31, 2025 at the address: 190005, St. Petersburg, 2-ya Krasnoarmeyskaya St., Bldg. 4, office 125, 126. Tel. 316-42-13.

    The competition will be held in person.

    Place, date and time of the competition: June 25, 2025 at 10:00, St. Petersburg, 2-ya Krasnoarmeyskaya st., bldg. 4, room 216.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 24 April 2025 Expanded use of new dual-insecticide nets offers hope for malaria control efforts in Africa

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) have been a cornerstone of malaria prevention efforts over the past 2 decades, and their widespread use has been instrumental in preventing the disease and saving lives. Since 2000, the global malaria response, including through ITN distribution campaigns, has helped prevent more than 2 billion cases and nearly 13 million deaths.

    Despite progress, malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in many areas have developed resistance to the insecticides commonly used on ITNs – especially pyrethroids – reducing their impact and undermining gains in malaria prevention. This rising threat has prompted researchers to accelerate the development of new types of nets that offer more durable protection against malaria.

    In 2017, WHO recommended the first ITN designed to enhance efficacy against pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes. While this marked an important step forward, further innovation was needed to develop dual-insecticide nets, assess their efficacy in managing resistant mosquitoes and their impact on malaria transmission, and to evaluate their cost-effectiveness.

    This photo story, published on World Malaria Day 2025, highlights the research, development and scale-up of dual-insecticide ITNs – made possible through years of collaboration among countries, communities, manufacturers, funders and a range of global, regional and national partners.

    A young girl sleeps under a dual-insecticide net in Cameroon. © The Global Fund

    Global partnership launches extensive studies to test dual-insecticide nets

    In 2018, Unitaid and the Global Fund launched the New Nets Project. Led by the Innovative Vector Control Consortium – and working closely with National Malaria Programmes and other partners such as the U.S. Presidents Malaria Initiative, the Gates Foundation and MedAccess – the project supported evidence building and pilots to rapidly accelerate the shift to dual-insecticide nets in sub-Saharan Africa to counter pyrethroid resistance.

    The nets were first deployed in 2019 in Burkina Faso, and then Benin, Mozambique, Rwanda and the United Republic of Tanzania were added in subsequent years to test how the nets performed in different settings.

    By the end of 2022, the New Nets Project, together with the Global Fund and U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative deployed more than 56 million mosquito nets in 17 countries across sub-Saharan Africa where insecticide resistance had been reported.

    Clinical trials and pilot studies found that dual-insecticide nets improved malaria control by 20–50% compared with standard pyrethroid-only nets. Additionally, clinical trials in the United Republic of Tanzania and Benin demonstrated that the pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr nets significantly reduced malaria infections in children between the ages of 6 months and 10 years.

    “The New Nets Project significantly advanced malaria control by accelerating access to dual active ingredient nets, an important tool in the fight against malaria,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid. “The success of this initiative is the result of strong partnerships that helped us overcome access barriers and reach communities faster. Together with our partners, we continue working to explore and support innovations that reduce malaria transmission and save lives.”

    The New Nets Project also included research universities, such as Tulane University and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; advocacy organizations such as PATH, Population Services International (PSI) and the Alliance for Malaria Prevention; and funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Gates Foundation.

    A mother and her 8-month-old son play in their home in Soa, Cameroon. The family sleeps under dual-insecticide mosquito nets to protect themselves from malaria. © The Global Fund/Vincent Becker.

    WHO issues recommendations for new generation nets

    With strong clinical trial and study results, WHO issued recommendations for new generation insecticide-treated nets and updated the WHO guidelines for malaria in 2023. The WHO recommendations covered 2 new classes of dual ingredient ITNs: pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr nets and pyrethroid-pyriproxyfen nets.

    Pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr nets combine a pyrethroid and a pyrrole insecticide to enhance the killing effect of the net and pyrethroid-pyriproxyfen nets combine a pyrethroid with an insect growth regulator (IGR), which disrupts mosquito growth and reproduction.

    Wider scale-up of new generation nets poised to lower disease burden

    Today, malaria-endemic countries and families are recognizing the value of new generation nets in preventing malaria and saving lives. In 2023, nearly 80% of nets delivered in sub-Saharan Africa were these more effective dual-insecticide nets, up from 59% in 2022, according to the latest World malaria report.

    “In 2019, we used to have malaria frequently before we got the nets,” says Elizabeth, a tailor and mother of two young children in the United Republic of Tanzania. “It cost us a lot of money because sometimes we used to go to private hospitals.”

    Since receiving the new generation nets, Elizabeth’s family has stayed free of malaria. “The difference now is that I don’t use the money to treat my child for malaria,” she adds. “Instead, I use the money to pay for school fees.”

    To date, dual-insecticide nets are being used and scaled up in 17 countries in Africa. The rapid scale-up of the new nets and other innovative tools, such as malaria vaccines, offer fresh hope for controlling malaria, especially in countries with the highest risk of the disease.

    “Dual-insecticide nets represent a breakthrough in malaria prevention,” notes Dr Daniel Ngamije, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme. “Their development and wide deployment are a testament to what can be achieved through science, sustained investment and global collaboration.”

    Sustained investment in innovations critical to curbing malaria

    Strengthening surveillance, monitoring and management of biological threats – such as insecticide resistance, invasive species and changing vector behaviour – will be essential to curb and, ultimately, eliminate malaria transmission. At the same time, investment in innovative tools to address these evolving challenges remains equally critical.

    Scaling up the deployment and monitoring of next-generation nets, vaccines and other innovations will require sustained investment in malaria control and elimination programmes. This includes securing successful replenishments for the Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

    In addition to new nets, researchers are pursuing a range of innovative vector control products, such as spatial repellents, lethal house lures (eaves tubes) and genetic engineering of mosquitoes.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Westminster Insight – Women and Girls in Sport Conference

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Westminster Insight – Women and Girls in Sport Conference

    Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock delivered the keynote speech at the Westminster Insight – Women and Girls in Sport Conference

    Thank you all for being here and inviting me to speak to you today. I am sorry I can’t be with you in person. 

    I want to talk to you today about the remarkable growth of women’s sport that we have witnessed in recent years, and what the Government is doing to build on this momentum. 

    I would like to begin by sharing some statistics. In 2024, UK Women’s Sport attracted audiences of over 44.17 million, an increase of nearly 40% in just two years. Over 2.6 million people attended a women’s sport event in person in 2023, an increase of 23% from the previous year.

    Globally, Deloitte predicts that revenue generated by women’s elite sports will reach at least $2.35 billion, or £1.8 billion, in 2025, with revenues predicted to have risen by 240% in 4 years. 

    This is, of course, good news for economic growth and for those playing women’s elite sport. But most importantly the impact that it will have on women and girls across the country will be profound. 

    Inspiring women and girls across the country to take part in sport is hugely important to me as Sports Minister.

    Girls need to know from a young age that they belong in sport.  That is why we want to review and shape our education system to inspire girls from an early age to get active and build a lifelong love and affinity for sport.  

    To achieve this goal, Government is driving progress across women’s sport: from investing in grassroots facilities to supporting national campaigns.

    It also means action on the elite end of sport, from hosting major events to supporting action to professionalise women’s sport. 

    Bringing all of these elements together is our strategy for women and girl’s sport. Let me take you through each of those in turn.

    Firstly, we want more women and girls than ever to stay physically and mentally fit and healthy.

    In order to do this, we need to keep evolving and challenging the way we think of women in sporting environments in order to understand what challenges and motivates them.  

    Sport England campaigns like This Girl Can has inspired nearly 4 million women to get active and 8 out of 10 women say that the campaign has boosted their confidence.    

    We want women to have options and variety available to them within their local area.  

    Getting this right starts with inclusion. Statistics show that for women on lower incomes from under-represented groups, the challenges and feelings of not being included are even greater.  

    When we support women’s sport, we will support women and girls right across our communities – not just elite athletes however important they are

    Secondly, we know that in order to reach women and girls from all walks of life, equal access to high quality PE and school sports has a fundamental role to play. 

    I have seen first hand the value of school sports in my own constituency in Barnsley South. It was great to visit High View Primary Centre Centre in Wombwell a few weeks ago to watch the FA’s annual Biggest Ever Football Session, and I have enjoyed seeing the impact that events such as the Daily Mile can have on local children across Barnsley. 

    So, through our expert-led review of the curriculum, we are going to ensure that every child has the opportunity to engage in a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport.  I’ve been working closely with the Minister for Schools and with National Governing Bodies across a range of issues, and we are committed to ensuring that all children can access high-quality sport and physical activity across the school day. 

    We also know that access to facilities, player welfare standards and suitable kit and equipment are all key parts of ensuring women and girls have the opportunity to excel.

    On 21 March, we announced an investment of £100 million to fund grassroots facilities throughout the UK. £98 million of this will support projects in 2025/26. 

    This funding will support more women and girls to take part in the sports that they love, particularly by ensuring that funded sites across the UK provide priority slots for women and girls. Beyond this, in England there is funding specifically targeted at creating female-friendly facilities off the pitch, including changing rooms and toilets. 

    As well as focusing on getting women and girls active at a grassroots level, progress in women’s sport requires a healthy professional system to fund participation and to create inspirational role models.

    This is why I am acting on the recommendations of Karen Carney’s independent Review of Women’s Football starting with a series of in depth discussions on the recommendations, and led by a taskforce I have convened to drive this forward.

    We want Karen’s excellent Review to lead to tangible change in women’s football, acting as a wider blueprint for all of women’s sport.

    Our work is already making a difference: we the Taskforce recently agreed on a series of concrete actions to improve player welfare in women’s football. 

    I also want to address one of the major issues identified by Karen in the Review, which is the lack of research.  Only 6% of all sports science research today is dedicated solely to female athletes. Obviously this imbalance is a global challenge but I believe the UK is well positioned to take the lead in addressing, building on our reputation for world class research. This Government is determined to ensure that our sport science research continues to be world leading and tailored to the needs of our athletes.

    On a recent visit to Loughborough University’s Women in Sport Research and Innovation Hub, I saw first hand ground breaking innovation which will shape the future of women’s sport. 

    This includes development in areas such as the menstrual cycle, the design of pregnancy and postpartum sportswear, sports nutrition, and innovation in sports bras.

    This vital work will help us accelerate the progress we have already made and ensure that research into women’s sport is tailored to female athletes.

    Finally, progress in women’s sport also means increasing visibility and inspiring a nation, by showcasing what our world leading female athletes can do.

    We know women and girls across the country are inspired by female role models.

    This summer, some fans will be watching the Lionesses on TV with their family, while others will be at the Women’s Rugby World Cup across England enjoying the atmosphere. Many more will be watching their favourite local teams and athletes from their home town.

    We want everyone to join us in marvelling at the incredible talent we have here in the UK.  We want to create the best women’s leagues in the world and we want to lead the way in helping women’s sport  to stand the test of time and be financially sustainable.

    This will mean that a girl growing up in my area of Barnsley will be able to watch us host major events like the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the Women’s T20 World Cup and the Tour de France Femmes, and be able to recreate moments with their friends at school.

    With our incredible track record for hosting these kinds of events, I know that they are going to be huge success stories that inspire everyone watching women’s sport right across the globe. 

    We are also working hard to support the FA’s bid for the 2035 Women’s World Cup, a tournament with the potential to inspire yet another generation of women’s football fans.

    This is how we lead the way in women’s sport and create lasting legacies for generations to come.

    Before I end today, I want to directly address last week’s Supreme Court ruling, which I am sure is on the minds of many of you attending today. As a Government we have always been clear that when it comes to women’s sport, biology matters and we will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion. Alongside this, sports need to come up with approaches to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part somehow – and I know that sporting bodies will be considering this in light of the Supreme Court decision.

    As I finish speaking to you today, I recognise that we still have challenges to overcome when it comes to women’s sport. However, the future is also one of huge opportunities to drive women’s sport forward. 

    Progress in women’s sport requires a clear vision.  From young girls learning about sport and movement in school through PE, to teenagers accessing facilities built with women and girls in mind, to adults having the right knowledge, kit and environment, to excel we want to support women and girls at every stage of their lives.  

    We want women and girls across the UK to watch global events hosted at home, to be inspired by their role models and to have the opportunity to dream big.  Every girl deserves that chance.

    And to enable this, this Government is committed to improving access to sport in schools, to making provision of facilities more equal, to improving research, driving visibility and investing in women’s sport at every level.

    It is not enough to focus on one aspect alone.  We must drive progress across all of these areas as part of one cohesive women’s sport strategy.  

    I look forward to working with you all to ensure all women and girls have the opportunities they deserve.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Astronaut to Answer Questions from Students in California

    Source: NASA

    Students from Santa Monica, California, will connect with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim as he answers prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related questions aboard the International Space Station.
    Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call at 12:10 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 29, on the NASA STEM YouTube Channel.
    Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Friday, April 25, to Esmi Careaga at: ecareaga@smmusd.org or 805-651-3204 x71582.
    The event is hosted by Santa Monica High School, Kim’s alma mater, and includes students from Roosevelt Elementary School and Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica. The schools hope to inspire students to follow their dreams and explore their passions through curiosity, service, and interest in learning.
    For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.
    Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lays the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.
    See videos highlighting space station research at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
    -end-
    Gerelle DodsonHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov
    Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 4.23.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 23, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Annabelle Hopkins, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Government Affairs at the California Public Advocates Office. Hopkins has been Government Relations Manager at RWE Offshore Wind since 2024. She was Legislative Director at the Office of Assemblymember Jim Wood in the California State Assembly from 2022 to 2023. Hopkins held multiple positions in the Office of Senator Dave Min in the California State Senate from 2021 to 2022, including Legislative Director and Legislative Aide. She was a Senate Fellow in the Office of Senator Mike McGuire in the California State Senate from 2019 to 2020. Hopkins was the Finance Director/Policy Advisor for Audrey Denney for Congress from 2018 to 2019. She is a Board Member of FemDems and Young Professionals in Energy, Sacramento. Hopkins earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from College of Wooster. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $153,000. Hopkins is a Democrat.

    Mandi Posner, of Gold River, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Center for Health Care Quality at the California Department of Public Health. Posner has been Chief of Field Operations for the South Division of the Center for Health Care Quality at the California Department of Public Health since 2021, where she has held multiple positions since 2016, including Branch Chief of Field Operations for the South Division, Los Angeles County Contract Manager, Staff Services Manager for Fiscal Operations, and Associate Governmental Program Analyst. Posner is a Member and California Representative of the Association of Health Facility Survey Agencies. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Administration from California State University, Chico. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $183,840. Posner is a Democrat.

    Yang Lee, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief of Data Analytics and Strategy at the California Department of Developmental Services. Lee has been Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer at the California Department of Social Services since 2022, where he was previously Assistant Director from 2020 to 2022. He held multiple positions at the California Department of Finance from 2008 to 2020, including Principal Program Budget and Finance Budget Analyst. Lee was a Legislative Assistant in the Office of Assemblymember Loni Hancock in the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2008. Lee earned a Master of Public Policy Analysis degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethnic Studies from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $198,660. Lee is a Democrat. 

    Heather Leslie, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Counsel at the California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. Leslie has been the Assistant General Counsel at the California Natural Resources Agency since 2021. She was a Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2015 to 2021. Leslie earned a Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $198,000. Leslie is a Democrat.

    Cindy Gustafson, of Tahoe City, has been appointed to the State Board of Fire Services. Gustafson has been the District Five County Supervisor for the County of Placer since 2019. She was the Chief Executive Officer of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association from 2017 to 2018. Gustafson held multiple positions at the Tahoe City Public Utility District from 1991 to 2017, including Director of Resource Development and Community Relations, Assistant General Manager, and General Manager. She was a Commissioner at the California Fish and Game Commission from 2005 to 2009. Gustafson is a Member of Tahoe Fund. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Gustavus Adolphus College. This position does not require Senate Confirmation and there is no compensation. Gustafson is registered without party preference.

    Hampus Idsater, of Thousand Oaks, has been appointed to the Boating and Waterways Commission. Idsater has been an Investment Manager at Suntex Marina Investors since 2022. He was a Finance and Business Development Director at Hamner, Jewell & Associates from 2020 to 2022. Idsater was a Vice President at Eight Roads from 2015 to 2020. He was an Investment Manager at Fosun International from 2013 to 2015. Idsater was an Analyst at Morgan Stanley from 2011 to 2013. He is a Member of the Marine Recreation Association and Toastmasters International. Idsater earned a Master of Arts degree in Economics from University of Oxford. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Idsater is a Democrat.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Apr 23, 2025

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    Apr 23, 2025

    News What you need to know: California is investing $500 million to help add 1,000 clean school buses across the state, and demand for incentives supporting zero-emission buses and trucks has more than doubled year-over-year. SACRAMENTO – California’s transition to…

    Apr 23, 2025

    News What you need to know: More than 4 million California children will automatically receive SUN Bucks food benefits via EBT card starting in June. Each eligible child will receive $120 in food benefits. Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom announced today…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University has become a platform for the implementation of the “Vice-Rector” project of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, together with Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, launched a new information and educational website video project “Vice-Rector”, which is being implemented in the SPbPU television studio. Its presentation took place on April 23 at the forum-exhibition “GOSZAKAZ” at the stand of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. The event was attended by vice-rectors of leading universities and representatives of student media. The broadcast took place on the information resources of the educational department.

    The discussion was moderated by the Head of the SPbPU Public Relations Department Marianna Dyakova. The experts were Maxim Pasholikov, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies at SPbPU, Anna Gureeva, First Vice-Rector of the Pushkin State Institute of the Russian Language, Mikhail Filonov, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation at the MISIS University of Science and Technology, and Ruslan Baryshev, Vice-Rector for Research at the Siberian Federal University. The participants discussed the relevance of the project, the most important topics, challenges for the higher education system, and other issues. The presentation sparked a lively discussion and received a wide response. Activists from the student media center invited representatives of youth media to join the project.

    The “Vice-Rector” project will unite the vice-rector community to talk about the life of the country’s leading universities, exchange best practices and popularize them, and identify and reward the most effective managers in the field of higher education.

    “Teams from leading universities play an important role in improving the national model of higher education and achieving technological leadership. The “Vice-Rector” project will tell about how their work is structured from the inside. It is designed to highlight the most outstanding representatives of the vice-rectors’ corps and popularize the best scientific and educational practices,” said Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Russia Konstantin Mogilevsky.

    “I am confident that the information and educational project “Vice-Rector” will become an effective platform for discussing the most pressing issues, exchanging practices and successful examples of implementing state policy in the field of science and higher education. Such a dialogue is very important today, when we are moving along the path of forming technological leadership and updating the national education system. The project is all-Russian, its participants will be experts from among the vice-rectors of all universities in our country. I am glad that we are implementing such an initiative together with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which, of course, contributes to the actualization of the most necessary topics for focusing. I invite all colleagues to participate in the project,” commented SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy.

    As part of the new project, experts from among the vice-rectors of Russian universities will explain innovations and changes in the scientific and educational sphere to a wide audience consisting of employees, teachers, students and applicants. During filming, the speaker can be directly in the SPbPU television studio or connect remotely. Editing and post-production of the project are also carried out at the Polytechnic University.

    Each episode will cover different topics such as:

    changes in the higher education system; updating the national higher education system; implementation of the technology leadership strategy; implementation of federal programs and projects; youth policy and others.

    The premiere of the first issue dedicated to technological leadership has already taken place. Its hero was the Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation of SPbPU Alexey Borovkov.

    “The Polytechnic University has a modern television studio and media resources, which allows us to take the initiative and use the available opportunities to popularize and explain new guidelines of state policy in the formation of the domestic system of higher education,” said Marianna Dyakova, Head of the SPbPU Public Relations Department. “It is important that experts from different universities in our country share their understanding of these processes with the general public. At the moment, we have presented a pilot issue on technological leadership. Of course, we will continue to improve our work to bring the project to perfection. In addition, we expect feedback that will help make the necessary changes.”

    The project will be released twice a month. They will be available on the official resources of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and on the websites of participating universities.

    To join the “Vice-Rector” project, discuss current issues and share successful cases, you must fill out registration form.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Art of Management: All-Russian Forum Opens at the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On April 23, the ceremonial opening of the V All-Russian Interuniversity Forum “The Art of Management: Science, Practice, Project Technologies” was held at the Center for Information Technologies of the State University of Management.

    The vice-rector of the State University of Management, Artem Terpugov, gave a welcoming speech.

    “Today’s forum is a unique opportunity for all participants to exchange best practices, present innovative approaches and discuss current issues of implementing project-based learning at universities, as well as developing students’ project activities. I am confident that the forum’s rich program will allow each participant to find useful contacts, gain new knowledge and inspiration for implementing their own projects,” the vice-rector concluded.

    The President of the Project Management Association “SOVNET” Alexander Tovb told the audience about the history of the organization, long-standing cooperation with the State University of Management and the importance of project-based learning.

    As part of the practical part, experts shared their experience in implementing joint projects, forming teams and establishing systematic work.

    Deputy Head of the Federal State Statistics Service for Moscow and the Moscow Region Natalia Alekseeva spoke about the cooperation between Mosstat and the State University of Management, Director of the Business Incubator Dmitry Rogov spoke in more detail about how interaction within the framework of project-based learning is established at our university, and Director of the Project Mentoring Center Ekaterina Illarionova introduced the principals of the organization of mentoring support at the State University of Management.

    Also speaking were the head of the Center for Project Entrepreneurship of IPI LAB LLC Olga Baranenkova, ITMO tracker-adviser Yulia Gaponenko, executive director of the non-profit organization “Mentors for Children” Nina Vorontsova and associate professor of the Department of Information Security of VolSU Yulia Bakhracheva.

    The practical part of the session was conducted by the head of the Center for Didactics of Professional Education of Moscow State Pedagogical University, Daria Vyunova, who helped those gathered test their theories and approaches to project-based learning on specific cases.

    At the same time, the Interuniversity Hackathon “Urban Development Technologies” has started working in the Scientific Library of the State University of Management, in which student interuniversity teams from different areas of training are participating. For 3 days, the students will work on problem cases of customer partners and develop a draft solution, which they will present to an expert jury consisting of specialists delegated by the customer partner and representatives of the Forum organizer.

    Let us recall that the State University of Management is holding the Forum for the fifth time and for the second year it is organizing it in cooperation with the project-methodical association “Association of project-oriented organizations of science and higher education” and the association of specialists and organizations in the field of project management “Association of project management “SOVNET”.

    You can read about how the forum was held in 2024 in this article.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/24/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Uniting Cities: Interuniversity Hackathon Held at GUU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On April 23, 2025, the State University of Management launched a three-day inter-university hackathon “Urban Development Technologies”, which is being held as part of the V All-Russian Inter-University Forum “The Art of Management: Science, Practice, Project Technologies”.

    From April 23 to 25, students from 7 universities: GUU, MIREA, RGUTIS, RUT (MIIT), RUDN, SFedU, SPbGASU will work with cases of 9 partners: Federal State Budgetary Institution “Analytical Center under the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation”, Sber, Roskachestvo, Beyond Taylor, Basmanny District Museum – Basmania, Vitra Russia, Moscow Municipal Economy Museum, Vysota Service Group, Scientific Research Center for Municipal Economy (TsNIS), Leisure and Sports Center of TiNAO of the City of Moscow.

    This year, the hackathon became not just inter-university, but inter-regional, expanding its borders from Taganrog (SFedU) to St. Petersburg (SPbGASU).

    On the first day of acquaintance and team formation, a master class was held by Beyond Taylor representative, head of implementation projects, leader of consulting in the public sector Elena Bryukhova, who introduced the hackathon participants to the principles of clientocracy and focus on the needs and requests of clients. The teams worked all day in the Scientific Library of the State University of Management in different locations.

    Before the start of the joint work, Associate Professor of the Department of Human Resources Management of the State University of Management Ekaterina Kashtanova held a master class on team building, as a result of which the teams defined their values and rules of work, came up with a motto corresponding to the image and selected a song.

    On the second day, the teams will go on an excursion to the Moscow Museum of Urban Economy, where they will learn about the specifics of how city facilities operate and continue working on projects based on cases proposed by partners.

    On the third day, the teams will present their projects to an expert jury, which will select the winners and nominees of the hackathon.

    The goal of the hackathon is to develop students’ professional competencies through work on real management tasks in the field of creating a comfortable urban environment, developing urban infrastructure, urban logistics, improving the ecological environment, supporting social entrepreneurship, and involving young people in urban projects.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/24/2025

    «Искусство управлять: наука,…” data-yashareImage=”https://guu.ru/wp-content/uploads/1745427244767-scaled.jpg” data-yashareLink=”https://guu.ru/%d0%be%d0%b1%d1%8a%d0%b5%d0%b4%d0%b8%d0%bd%d1%8f%d1%8f-%d0%b3%d0%be%d1%80%d0%be%d0%b4%d0%b0-%d0%b2-%d0%b3%d1%83%d1%83-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d1%88%d0%b5%d0%bb-%d0%bc%d0%b5%d0%b6%d0%b2%d1%83%d0%b7%d0%be/”>

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic and BRU strengthen the technological sovereignty of the Union State

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The visit of the Polytechnic University delegation to the Republic of Belarus continues. At the site of the strategic partner of SPbPU, the Belarusian-Russian University (Mogilev), several events related to the joint activities of our universities are currently taking place. The leaders of the Polytechnic University, which coordinates the activities of Slavic universities within the framework of the national project, were met at BRU with traditional hospitality – a loaf of bread and salt.

    BRU Rector Mikhail Lustenkov welcomed his Russian colleagues: “Our cooperation with the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University has long been truly warm and productive. I can say with confidence that we do not have such a multifaceted and strategically important partnership with any other university. Today we have a wonderful opportunity to personally show you what results we have achieved thanks to our joint work. The Comprehensive Program for the Development of Slavic Universities plays a special role in our development, within the framework of which your support is invaluable to us. Polytechnic is not just a partner, but a reliable ally in the pursuit of development and improvement.”

    The official meeting of SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy, Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arsenyev and Director of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport Anatoly Popovich with BRU Rector Mikhail Lustenkov and key vice-rectors was devoted to the prospects for expanding cooperation in the main areas of partnership, including the creation of innovative joint educational programs, the development of research infrastructure and the training of professional personnel for high-tech sectors of the Union State economy.

    “We have found the right interaction and the basis for Slavic unity in the field of education. Unique laboratories have been created in Belarus, students study together, and are distributed to enterprises in both countries. This is a very correct and important symbiosis, reflecting the most important role of Slavic universities. Our partnership in welding technologies is of particular importance. You have strong developments, and we have exclusive methods, for example, electron beam and vacuum welding. For Russia, as a powerful shipbuilding center, training welders is an urgent task. We are ready to share high-tech solutions and adopt your practical experience. In addition, we are united by intelligent control systems, digital technologies, supercomputer centers and modeling. Without this, modern science and industry are impossible. I am sure that together we can strengthen both sides,” Andrey Rudskoy emphasized.

    A landmark event was the signing of an agreement to launch a unique joint network bachelor’s degree program “Artificial Intelligence in Technical Systems”. This four-year program was developed by joint efforts of specialists from the Higher School of Cyber-Physical Systems Management of SPbPU and the Department of Software of BRU. It should become a flagship project in training new generation specialists. Already at the development stage, the program aroused significant interest not only among Russian and Belarusian applicants, but also among students from China, which indicates its international demand.

    “This visit is the next stage of our strategic partnership. Within the walls of the Belarusian-Russian University, we see not only modern laboratories, but also a special atmosphere of joint creativity. We were particularly impressed by the achievements of our Belarusian colleagues in training engineering personnel and organizing the educational process. We see significant potential for expanding joint educational programs and scientific research,” said Dmitry Arsenyev.

    This is not the first network program launched by the two universities. Since 2022, SPbPU and BRU have been implementing a network bachelor’s degree program in the field of “Foreign Regional Studies”. From April 21 to 25, five students of the Higher School of International Relations of the Humanitarian Institute of SPbPU are undergoing an internship at BRU. The students were selected based on the results of the essay competition “25 years of the Union State: history, achievements and future goals of Russia and Belarus”. The educational program at BRU includes lectures (“Culture of Belarus: traditions and modernity”, “The main stages of the development of philosophical thought in Belarus”, “Society in Belarus: features and development”, etc.) and a cultural program. In parallel with the student internship, Associate Professor of the Polytechnic University Alexey Vovenda held master classes for BRU students on organizing research activities within the framework of the field of “Foreign Regional Studies”. Since 2022, a total of 19 SPbPU students and 29 BRU students have been trained within the network program.

    Getting acquainted with the university infrastructure allowed the SPbPU delegation to evaluate the achievements of the joint laboratory of intelligent robotics and cyber-physical systems. In it, students and teachers of the two universities successfully implement projects in the field of digital twins of industrial facilities and predictive analytics systems. The delegation was especially interested in practical solutions for remote monitoring of critical facilities using artificial intelligence technologies. In the robotics laboratory, guests were shown how to remotely connect to production lines and control robots located at different points.

    No less productive was the visit to the Department of Technosphere Safety, where the industrial internship program for master’s students of the “Environmental Safety in Industry” program of SPbPU has been successfully implemented for the third year. A unique methodology for studying the impact of radionuclides on the environment, developed by Belarusian colleagues, complements the educational programs of the St. Petersburg university with an important practical component. The internship has been held since 2022. During this time, 15 Polytechnic students have completed it. And just this week, another internship program for three more students of the Civil Engineering Institute is ending at the experimental sites and in the laboratories of the Department of Technosphere Safety.

    At the Department of Welding Equipment and Technologies, guests were presented with advanced developments in the field of additive and welding technologies. In this area, BRU is rightfully considered a unique platform in the Republic of Belarus. The only Certification and Testing Center in the Republic operates on the basis of the university, which carries out certification of welding equipment and materials, testing of welded samples and structures, training, certification and certification of welders, and develops and qualifies welding processes.

    Director of IMMiT Anatoly Popovich supported the rector of SPbPU, noting that the key area of cooperation between the universities should be interaction in the field of advanced production technologies, in particular powder metallurgy and welding processes. He emphasized that BRU has unique practical experience in the field of high-tech welding, including automatic, thick-plate and argon-arc welding, and is ready to actively share these developments with colleagues from the Polytechnic University.

    The Higher School of Materials Physics and Technology of SPbPU (Professor Sergey Parshin) has been collaborating with this BRU department since 2021. The partners jointly conduct scientific research, supervise postgraduate students and give lectures. The center discussed the possibilities of developing cooperation. In particular, organizing network interaction between the Polytechnic University, BRU, institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, and creating a Competence Center for Welding Technologies on the basis of BRU.

    As part of the activities to coordinate the activities of Slavic universities, this week SPbPU experts are holding a project-analytical session to prepare a development program for the Belarusian-Russian University for 2026-2030. The session focused on developing a common understanding among the BRU team of the university’s target model, strategic development goals, and ways to achieve them.

    SPbPU experts — Vice-Rector for Personnel Policy Maria Vrublevskaya, Head of the Project Office “Slavic Universities” Nikita Golovin and expert of the Department of Strategic Planning and Development Tatyana Morina. They shared their experience in implementing the Priority-2030 program, proposing innovative approaches to transforming the university into an educational hub. The main vector of BRU development is maintaining the model of an engineering university with an emphasis on close cooperation with industry. This is necessary for sustainable regional development, as well as in the interests of Belarus, Russia and the Union State as a whole.

    Maria Vrublevskaya shared the results of the project-analytical session: “Despite serious restrictions related to state frameworks, as well as difficulties in developing human capital, the university demonstrated impressive results. Investments were implemented effectively: growth points are fully equipped, strong teams were formed, and best practices reached the level of sustainable development. Now the team is at the peak of intellectual potential, and although the strategy for further development until 2030 is yet to be determined, it is already obvious that the invested resources have produced a significant effect.”

    The results of the visit confirmed that the cooperation between SPbPU and BRU has reached a qualitatively new level, combining fundamental academic traditions with advanced educational technologies. Joint projects in the field of artificial intelligence, cyber-physical systems and technosphere safety not only strengthen the scientific and technical potential of the two countries, but also create the basis for the formation of a single educational space and increasing the technological sovereignty of the Union State.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Taneshka Kruger, UP ISMC: Project Manager and Coordinator, University of Pretoria

    Healthcare in Africa faces a perfect storm: high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV, a rise in non-communicable diseases, and dwindling foreign aid.

    In 2021, nearly half of the sub-Saharan African countries relied on external financing for more than a third of their health expenditure. But donor fatigue and competing global priorities, such as climate change and geopolitical instability, have placed malaria control programmes under immense pressure. These funding gaps now threaten hard-won progress and ultimately malaria eradication.

    The continent’s healthcare funding crisis isn’t new. But its consequences are becoming more severe. As financial contributions shrink, Africa’s ability to respond to deadly diseases like malaria is being tested like never before.

    Malaria remains one of the world’s most pressing public health threats. According to the World Health Organization there were an estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 deaths globally in 2023 – an increase of 11 million cases from the previous year.

    The WHO African region bore the brunt, with 94% of cases and 95% of deaths. It is now estimated that a child under the age of five dies roughly every 90 seconds due to malaria.

    Yet, malaria control efforts since 2000 have averted over 2 billion cases and saved nearly 13 million lives globally. Breakthroughs in diagnostics, treatment and prevention have been critical to this progress. They include insecticide-treated nets, rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin-based combination therapies (drug combinations to prevent resistance) and malaria vaccines.

    Since 2017, the progress has been flat. If the funding gap widens, the risk is not just stagnation; it’s backsliding. Several emerging threats such as climate change and funding shortfalls could undo the gains of the early 2000s to mid-2010s.

    New challenges

    Resistance to drugs and insecticides, and strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum that standard diagnostics can’t detect, have emerged as challenges. There have also been changes in mosquito behaviour, with vectors increasingly biting outdoors, making bed nets less effective.

    Climate change is shifting malaria transmission patterns. And the invasive Asian mosquito species Anopheles stephensi is spreading across Africa, particularly in urban areas.

    Add to this the persistent issue of cross-border transmission, and growing funding shortfalls and aid cuts, and it’s clear that the fight against malaria is at a critical point.

    As the world observes World Malaria Day 2025 under the theme “Malaria ends with us: reinvest, reimagine, reignite”, the call to action is urgent. Africa must lead the charge against malaria through renewed investment, bold innovation, and revitalised political will.

    Reinvest: Prevention is the most cost-effective intervention

    We – researchers, policymakers, health workers and communities – need to think smarter about funding. The economic logic of prevention is simple. It’s far cheaper to prevent malaria than to treat it. The total cost of procuring and delivering long-lasting insecticidal nets typically ranges between US$4 and US$7 each and the nets protect families for years. In contrast, treating a single case of severe malaria may cost hundreds of dollars and involve hospitalisation.

    In high-burden countries, malaria can consume up to 40% of public health spending.

    In Tanzania, for instance, malaria contributes to 30% of the country’s total disease burden. The broader economic toll – lost productivity, work and school absenteeism, and healthcare costs – is staggering. Prevention through long-lasting insecticidal nets, chemoprevention and health education isn’t only humane; it’s fiscally responsible.

    Reimagine: New tools, local solutions

    We cannot fight tomorrow’s malaria with yesterday’s tools. Resistance, climate-driven shifts in transmission, and urbanisation are changing malaria’s patterns.

    This is why re-imagining our approach is urgent.

    African countries must scale up innovations like the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine and next-generation mosquito nets. But more importantly, they must build their own capacity to develop, test and produce these tools.

    This requires investing in research and development, regional regulatory harmonisation, and local manufacturing.

    There is also a need to build leadership capacity within malaria control programmes to manage this adaptive disease with agility and evidence-based decision-making.

    Reignite: Community and collaboration matters

    Reigniting the malaria fight means shifting power to those on the frontlines. Community health workers remain one of Africa’s greatest untapped resources. Already delivering malaria testing, treatment and health education in remote areas, they can also be trained to manage other health challenges.

    Integrating malaria prevention into broader community health services makes sense. It builds resilience, reduces duplication, and ensures continuity even when external funding fluctuates.

    Every malaria intervention delivered by a trusted, local health worker is a step towards community ownership of health.

    Strengthened collaboration between partners, governments, cross-border nations, and local communities is also needed.

    The cost of inaction is unaffordable

    Africa’s malaria challenge is part of a deeper health systems crisis. By 2030, the continent will require an additional US$371 billion annually to deliver basic primary healthcare – about US$58 per person.

    For malaria in 2023 alone, US$8.3 billion was required to meet global control and elimination targets, yet only US$4 billion was mobilised. This gap has grown consistently, increasing from US$2.6 billion in 2019 to US$4.3 billion in 2023.

    The shortfall has led to major gaps in the coverage of essential malaria interventions.

    The solution does not lie in simply spending more, but in spending smarter by focusing on prevention, building local innovation, and strengthening primary healthcare systems.

    The responsibility is collective. African governments must invest boldly and reform policies to prioritise prevention.

    Global partners must support without dominating. And communities must be empowered to take ownership of their health.

    – Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats
    – https://theconversation.com/beating-malaria-what-can-be-done-with-shrinking-funds-and-rising-threats-255126

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Development of the digital economy and trends in the investment and construction process: the conference “Current problems of economics and management in construction” has ended

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – At the section of young scientists

    On April 17–18, the III National (All-Russian) Scientific and Practical Conference “Current Problems of Economics and Management in Construction” was held at SPbGASU, organized by the Faculty of Economics and Management.

    In total, 120 reports were heard during the two days of the event. Both representatives of SPbGASU and scientists from other universities, including from the Republic of Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, took an active part in the work of the section.

    The first day of the conference was marked by the holding of a section of young scientists “First steps in economic science”, in which students of the St. Petersburg Technical College of Management and Commerce (SPb TKuIC), the Russian State Pedagogical University named after A. I. Herzen (RSPU named after A. I. Herzen), Moscow Automobile and Road State Technical University (MADI), as well as representatives of student science from SPbGASU took part.

    At the opening of the young scientists’ section, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management Galina Tokunova noted the importance of participation in scientific events of students of secondary education institutions and called for further cooperation of colleges with SPbGASU in scientific and educational processes. Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management for Research Yuri Tsvetkov gave a report “Involvement of Young Scientists in Scientific Activity”, highlighting the incentives and rewards that await young researchers in the course of active scientific work.

    The key topics of the section were the development of the digital economy, as well as modern trends in the functioning of the investment and construction process. Victoria Filippova, a student of St. Petersburg TCUiK, prepared a report “Optimization of supply chain management using digital financial assets: opportunities and prospects”, having examined in detail legislative initiatives in this area, the advantages of using this tool in supply chain management and the stages of implementation in logistics processes.

    Daniil Velichko, a student at St. Petersburg TCUiK, presented a report entitled “The Digital Economic Miracle of Russia,” highlighting the advantages of the digital transformation of the economy and assessing the level of digital skills among Russian citizens. In addition, Daniil showed a video about the digital economy prepared by college students.

    The section focused on the research conducted by students of the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia – representatives of the People’s Republic of China. Bi Yanwen conducted a comparative analysis of investments in infrastructure development in China and Russia, Xu Yijie compared the current state of the real estate market in the two countries, Chang Jiangshuai spoke about the principles of sustainable development in the construction sector, Lu Haoran studied the issues of antitrust regulation in China, Hao Boyuan presented the main challenges and prospects for the rational use of limited resources in the context of China’s rapid economic growth.

    The conference traditionally had four main sections: “Language training for future professionals”, “Economics of construction and housing and communal services: trends and prospects”, “Economic security: experience, problems, prospects” and “Current issues of management in construction”.

    The conference organizing committee selected the following reports.

    Researchers Evgeny Rossokha and Anastasia Frantsuzova from the Republic of Belarus focused on the ESG orientation of the Belarusian housing policy, which includes housing affordability, improvement of the local area and renovation.

    Vladislav Buchi, a representative of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, made a presentation on the prospects for the development of multi-story industrial warehouse facilities in an urban format, which is very relevant in the context of the development of urban areas in St. Petersburg due to the acute shortage of warehouse complexes in the region.

    The research of the Master’s student of the Department of Construction Economics and Housing and Public Utilities Daria Batyreva was devoted to the current issues of managing the cost of construction projects in the field of construction production and design; the work highlighted particularly important and complex areas that attract the attention of all specialists in the field of project management.

    The curator of the section “Economic Security: Experience, Problems, Prospects”, Associate Professor of the Department of Economic Security Vladislav Uskov noted that this section has become a unique platform for exchanging opinions in the field of protecting the economic interests of the state and business, economic security and risk assessment. In particular, fourth-year student Meri Kopaleishvili presented a report on the topic “Digital Transformation of Development: Innovative Technologies and Marketing Strategies as a Factor of Sustainability in Conditions of Economic Instability”, Ksenia Danshina prepared a study “External Debt as a Threat to the Financial Security of the State”. A researcher from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University touched upon the problems and prospects of economic security and artificial intelligence.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Honoring History, Looking to the Future: GUU Strengthens Russian-Chinese Cooperation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On April 22, 2025, the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Center for the Study and Research of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a New Era, with the support of the Chinese Embassy in Russia, held a round table on the topic “Joint Implementation of the Three Global Initiatives to Build a Community of Shared Future for Humanity.” The event was attended by Fanis Sharipov, Director of the Center for Socio-Economic and Political Studies of China at the State University of Management.

    The event took place at the Chinese Cultural Center with the participation of Russian and Chinese business circles, orientalists and other distinguished guests.

    The first to speak was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Russian Federation Zhang Hanhui. Then, reports were presented by the First Deputy Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council Andrei Denisov, Director of the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences Kirill Babaev, Chairman of the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia, Deputy Chairman of the Chinese-Russian Friendship Society Zhou Liqun and other representatives of Russian and Chinese business circles, orientalists and honored guests.

    The State University of Management was represented by the Director of the Center for Socio-Economic and Political Research of China Fanis Sharipov, who noted in his speech that on December 18, 2024, a seminar on the topic “The Leader of China in My Eyes – Initiative of Global Civilization in the Form of a Presentation of the 4th Volume of Xi Jinping’s Book “On Public Administration” was held within the walls of our university, and on February 28 of this year, the State University of Management and Renmin Huabao held a round table on the topic “High-Quality Development of the Chinese Economy” on the eve of the next congress of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China in the Moscow office of the respected publishing house.

    Following the round table, a collection of studies on the implementation of the global development initiative, the global security initiative, and the global civilization initiative will be published.

    On April 23, 2025, at the invitation of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, students and teachers of the Russian-Chinese program “International Manufacturing Business” took part in the opening ceremony of the Chinese-Russian photo exhibition “Nobody is Forgotten, Nothing is Forgotten” dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. The event was organized by the Europe and Asia Broadcasting Center of the People’s Republic of China Foreign Language Literature Publication and Distribution Administration (Renmin Huabao Publishing House) and the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society.

    The following speakers spoke at the opening of the exhibition: Feng Litao, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Russian Federation, Director of the Chinese Cultural Center in Moscow; Galina Kulikova, First Deputy Chairperson of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society; Yu Jia, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Center for Broadcasting to Europe and Asia of the PRC Office of Publication and Distribution of Literature in Foreign Languages; Zhou Shenko, Editor-in-Chief of the Shandong Broadcasting Corporation.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/24/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Taneshka Kruger, UP ISMC: Project Manager and Coordinator, University of Pretoria

    Healthcare in Africa faces a perfect storm: high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV, a rise in non-communicable diseases, and dwindling foreign aid.

    In 2021, nearly half of the sub-Saharan African countries relied on external financing for more than a third of their health expenditure. But donor fatigue and competing global priorities, such as climate change and geopolitical instability, have placed malaria control programmes under immense pressure. These funding gaps now threaten hard-won progress and ultimately malaria eradication.

    The continent’s healthcare funding crisis isn’t new. But its consequences are becoming more severe. As financial contributions shrink, Africa’s ability to respond to deadly diseases like malaria is being tested like never before.

    Malaria remains one of the world’s most pressing public health threats. According to the World Health Organization there were an estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 deaths globally in 2023 – an increase of 11 million cases from the previous year.

    The WHO African region bore the brunt, with 94% of cases and 95% of deaths. It is now estimated that a child under the age of five dies roughly every 90 seconds due to malaria.

    Yet, malaria control efforts since 2000 have averted over 2 billion cases and saved nearly 13 million lives globally. Breakthroughs in diagnostics, treatment and prevention have been critical to this progress. They include insecticide-treated nets, rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin-based combination therapies (drug combinations to prevent resistance) and malaria vaccines.

    Since 2017, the progress has been flat. If the funding gap widens, the risk is not just stagnation; it’s backsliding. Several emerging threats such as climate change and funding shortfalls could undo the gains of the early 2000s to mid-2010s.

    New challenges

    Resistance to drugs and insecticides, and strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum that standard
    diagnostics can’t detect, have emerged as challenges. There have also been changes in mosquito behaviour, with vectors increasingly biting outdoors, making bed nets less effective.

    Climate change is shifting malaria transmission patterns. And the invasive Asian mosquito species Anopheles stephensi is spreading across Africa, particularly in urban areas.

    Add to this the persistent issue of cross-border transmission, and growing funding shortfalls and aid cuts, and it’s clear that the fight against malaria is at a critical point.

    As the world observes World Malaria Day 2025 under the theme “Malaria ends with us: reinvest, reimagine, reignite”, the call to action is urgent. Africa must lead the charge against malaria through renewed investment, bold innovation, and revitalised political will.

    Reinvest: Prevention is the most cost-effective intervention

    We – researchers, policymakers, health workers and communities – need to think smarter about funding. The economic logic of prevention is simple. It’s far cheaper to prevent malaria than to treat it. The total cost of procuring and delivering long-lasting insecticidal nets typically ranges between US$4 and US$7 each and the nets protect families for years. In contrast, treating a single case of severe malaria may cost hundreds of dollars and involve hospitalisation.

    In high-burden countries, malaria can consume up to 40% of public health spending.

    In Tanzania, for instance, malaria contributes to 30% of the country’s total disease burden. The broader economic toll – lost productivity, work and school absenteeism, and healthcare costs – is staggering. Prevention through long-lasting insecticidal nets, chemoprevention and health education isn’t only humane; it’s fiscally responsible.

    Reimagine: New tools, local solutions

    We cannot fight tomorrow’s malaria with yesterday’s tools. Resistance, climate-driven shifts in transmission, and urbanisation are changing malaria’s patterns.

    This is why re-imagining our approach is urgent.

    African countries must scale up innovations like the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine and next-generation mosquito nets. But more importantly, they must build their own capacity to develop, test and produce these tools.

    This requires investing in research and development, regional regulatory harmonisation, and local manufacturing.

    There is also a need to build leadership capacity within malaria control programmes to manage this adaptive disease with agility and evidence-based decision-making.

    Reignite: Community and collaboration matters

    Reigniting the malaria fight means shifting power to those on the frontlines. Community health workers remain one of Africa’s greatest untapped resources. Already delivering malaria testing, treatment and health education in remote areas, they can also be trained to manage other health challenges.

    Integrating malaria prevention into broader community health services makes sense. It builds resilience, reduces duplication, and ensures continuity even when external funding fluctuates.

    Every malaria intervention delivered by a trusted, local health worker is a step towards community ownership of health.

    Strengthened collaboration between partners, governments, cross-border nations, and local communities is also needed.

    The cost of inaction is unaffordable

    Africa’s malaria challenge is part of a deeper health systems crisis. By 2030, the continent will require an additional US$371 billion annually to deliver basic primary healthcare – about US$58 per person.

    For malaria in 2023 alone, US$8.3 billion was required to meet global control and elimination targets, yet only US$4 billion was mobilised. This gap has grown consistently, increasing from US$2.6 billion in 2019 to US$4.3 billion in 2023.

    The shortfall has led to major gaps in the coverage of essential malaria interventions.

    The solution does not lie in simply spending more, but in spending smarter by focusing on prevention, building local innovation, and strengthening primary healthcare systems.

    The responsibility is collective. African governments must invest boldly and reform policies to prioritise prevention.

    Global partners must support without dominating. And communities must be empowered to take ownership of their health.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats – https://theconversation.com/beating-malaria-what-can-be-done-with-shrinking-funds-and-rising-threats-255126

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Fake cures and vaccine passports for sale: the conspiracy communities in Brazil monetising the anti-vax movement – podcast

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

    A protest in Brazil against mandatory COVID vaccinations and vaccine passports. Isaac Fontana / Shutterstock.com

    Few places on earth are immune to the explosion of anti-vaccination conspiracy theories and health disinformation fuelled by the COVID pandemic. But in countries like Brazil, where the disinformation flowed from the very top of government, the problem is even more acute and some people are exploiting the fear of others to make money.

    In this episode of The Conversation Weekly, we hear about new research out of Brazil into how peddlers of disinformation on social media also sell fake cures and vaccine detoxes. And we ask why some people are looking for solutions to their health problems in these dangerous chemicals and unproven protocols.

    Brazil used to be a country with a strong culture of vaccination. “It was like a ritual”, remembers Igor Sacramento, a researcher in public health at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil. As a child, he would go to public squares where people would be dressed in costumes, parading, alongside the vaccination drives.

    Now, anti-vax disinformation has surged in the country. Sacramento believes the big change was the election of Jair Bolsonaro in 2018, a president who publicly questioned vaccinations. “It was terrible for public health”, he says. Research showed that during the pandemic there was a persistent “Bolsonaro effect” with higher death rates from COVID in pro-Bolsonaro municipalities.

    Vaccination rates for a number of different diseases have fallen in Brazil in recent years, although they are beginning to climb again since the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a third term as president in 2023.

    Promoting fake cures

    New research led by Ergon Cugler, a researcher at  the Brazilian Institute of Information on Science and Technology who is mapping the spread of disinformation on social media in Latin America and the Caribbean, is showing that the same people sowing fear with health disinformation are also selling fake cures.

    Cugler scraped data from more than 1,000 Telegram groups linked to disinformation and conspiracy theories topics over the last decade. Of the 5 million users in these groups, half are in Brazil. His dataset of 61 million pieces of content showed a 290% increase in anti-vaccination conspiracy narratives during the pandemic in Brazil, as well as a 15,000% increase in autism-related disinformation in Latin America and the Caribbean since the pandemic.

    Admins on these conspiracy theory communities on Telegram often post adverts, testimonials and videos promoting fake cures, vaccine detoxes and falsified vaccination passports. Cugler says:

     They spread the feeling of fear suggesting that parasites, for example, could cause diseases like diabetes. And then they offer so-called miracle cures, like deworming protocols or chlorine dioxide, and other substances, and they monetise all of those products.

    Cugler is also tracking how conspiracy theory groups discussing seemingly quite unconnected topics can be used as a way to funnel people into anti-vax groups and sell them fake cures.

    Listen to the full episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast to hear interviews with Ergon Cugler and Igor Sacramento, plus a conversation with Daniel Stycer, editor of The Conversation Brazil.

    This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Gemma Ware with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Mixing and sound design by Eloise Stevens and theme music by Neeta Sarl.

    Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here.

    Ergon Cugler has previously received a research grant from the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (IBICT) and is currently part of a research project funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development through the Observatory of Informational Disorder and Public Policy (DesinfoPop) at the Getulio Vargas Foundation. Igor Sacramento is a researcher in residence between December 2024 and July 2025 at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in France.

    – ref. Fake cures and vaccine passports for sale: the conspiracy communities in Brazil monetising the anti-vax movement – podcast – https://theconversation.com/fake-cures-and-vaccine-passports-for-sale-the-conspiracy-communities-in-brazil-monetising-the-anti-vax-movement-podcast-255142

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Applications are now being accepted for the II Competition for Young Scientists

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The Sistema Charitable Foundation and the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) launched the 2nd Competition for Young Scientists, implemented within the framework of the Decade of Science and Technology with the support of the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) and a number of leading Russian technology companies.

    The competition is aimed at supporting applied innovative scientific developments and the latest research in priority sectors of the economy. Its goal is to promote the popularization of Russian science and education, and to create conditions for the development of students and young scientists in science-intensive areas.

    Citizens of the Russian Federation can take part in the Competition – one young scientist or a team of students and young scientists up to three people, presenting their scientific developments and research results in one of ten nominations:

    “Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Technologies”; “Hydrogen as the Basis of Green Energy”; “Digital Energy and Intelligent Systems”; “Genomic Technologies and Medicine of the Future”; “Bioinnovations: Technologies for Life”; “Space Exploration and Unmanned Systems: A Look into the Future”; “Microelectronics: From Chips to Smart Devices”; “The East is a Delicate Matter: Technological Breakthroughs in Asia”; “New Horizons in the Construction Industry”; “Chemical Technologies, Innovative Materials and Processes”.

    Applications for the Competition will be accepted on the Lift to the Future platform and will last until July 20, 2025. The names of the winners, selected based on the results of a two-stage examination, will be announced by November 1, 2025. The authors of the best innovative solutions and research results, in addition to funds, will receive information and expert support. The winners of the Competition in the “space” nomination will receive a special prize – their name will be sent into space on one of the satellites launched by the partner of the direction – Sputnix Group of Companies.

    Subscribe to the tg channel “Our State University” Announcement date: 04/24/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Loss of empathy is a key problem in people with frontotemporal dementia — our research shows what’s happening in the brain

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alexander F Santillo, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Consultant Psychiatrist, Lund University

    Bruce Willis’s family announced in February 2023 that the actor had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Denis Makarenko/Shutterstock

    Frontotemporal dementia has gained significant attention in recent years after the family of actor Bruce Willis announced in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with the condition. A year later, it was revealed that US chat show host Wendy Williams had also been diagnosed with the condition.

    Yet despite all this recent attention, there’s still much we don’t know about frontotemporal dementia – including what mechanisms cause certain symptoms, and how we can better spot signs of the disease earlier on. But our research has uncovered the brain processes that underlie one of the disease’s earliest symptoms. This finding brings us one step closer to better diagnosing and treating the condition.

    Frontotemporal dementia accounts for approximately 5% of dementia cases. Symptoms typically begin in a person’s late sixties or seventies. The disease primarily affects behaviour, personality and language abilities.

    A hallmark symptom of frontotemporal dementia, which sets it apart from other forms of dementia (such as Alzheimer’s disease), is early loss of empathy. This often manifests as diminished warmth and concern for loved ones. This symptom can be profoundly unsettling for family members and loved ones close with the patient. They may feel as though the patient’s personality has transformed – and that their efforts to help and support are met with indifference.

    While loss of empathy has been the focus of much research from the scientific community, the precise brain mechanisms underlying the loss of empathy in frontotemporal dementia remain unclear.

    Alongside colleagues from Karolinska Institute, Lund University and Umeå University in Sweden, we conducted a study which sought to understand how empathy diminishes in frontotemporal dementia. We looked at 28 patients with frontotemporal dementia and compared them against 28 healthy people.

    To conduct our study, we used a type of brain scan called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). While in the fMRI scanner, participants viewed images of hands being pricked by needles. These images were contrasted with those of hand being touched by a q-tip. This is a well-established neuroscience test that is designed to evoke feelings of concern and distress as witnessing another person in pain. We analysed the brain activity of the patients with frontotemporal dementia as they viewed the images.

    In healthy volunteers, the anterior insula, anteria cingulate and thalamus are the brain regions responsible for monitoring internal bodily signals (such as pain). These brain systems became active when they observed the images of a person in pain.

    But in the patients with frontotemporal dementia, activity in these crucial brain regions was significantly reduced. These reductions were strikingly related to the degree of empathy patients exhibited in their daily lives, as judged by questionnaires filled out by family members.

    Empathy and brain function

    Empathy is typically thought to be comprised of two dimensions. Emotional empathy is the ability to react to others’ feelings (such as their distress and concern). Cognitive empathy is the capacity to understand the intention of others.

    Although the two are closely related, they’re not quite the same thing. It’s also possible for a person to possess one facet of empathy but not the other. The difference between the two facets of empathy can actually be exemplified by two psychiatric conditions, antisocial personality disorder and autism.

    People diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder are typically good at understanding the intentions and motivations of other people (cognitive empathy), but cannot empathise emotionally. This can lead to a disregard for other people. On the other hand, a person with autism typically has emotional empathy skills but might not have the ability to infer other peoples’ intentions (cognitive empathy).

    Our study revealed reduced activity in parts of the brain associated with the brain’s monitoring of bodily states, which are typically used when emotionally empathising with another person. These findings underscore the critical link between this brain system and our capacity to take others into consideration.

    In light of these findings, the next step with our research is to explore if and how the in-flow of the bodily signals necessary for the brain to create an inner self is altered in frontotemporal dementia – and how this relates to empathy.

    Apart from about 30% of cases being genetic, the causes of frontotemporal dementia remains unclear. Despite intense efforts from the community, there’s currently no cure. But thanks to courageous sufferers and their families coming forward, awareness is increasing. This is a crucial thrust forward.

    We hope that understanding how the brain processes empathy in frontotemporal dementia may not only help improve diagnosis but may, in the future, pave the way for potential treatments which mitigate some of the devastating effects of this disease.

    Alexander F Santillo is primarily funded by the Swedish federal government, The Åke Wiberg Foundation, The Schörling Foundation and The Bundy Academy.

    Olof Lindberg receives funding from the Schörling foundation and the Olle Engkvists Foundation.

    – ref. Loss of empathy is a key problem in people with frontotemporal dementia — our research shows what’s happening in the brain – https://theconversation.com/loss-of-empathy-is-a-key-problem-in-people-with-frontotemporal-dementia-our-research-shows-whats-happening-in-the-brain-247402

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “The fundamental principle of scientific knowledge is honesty.”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Daria Mazur wanted to study science since she was 13, when she realized in seventh grade that she was good at physics. In an interview with the Young Scientists of the Higher School of Economics project, she talked about theoretical research on the double electric layer, speed reading, and the MGMT song “Little Dark Age.”

    Why I started doing science

    I was a very unpopular child at school, no one really made friends with me, I existed on my own. And so, when physics started in the seventh grade and I started doing well, I found an outlet in it. Since the seventh grade, that is, since I was 13, I wanted to do science, and only science. I have never doubted it and since then I have been following my own path.

    For a long time I didn’t understand what scientific direction to choose. I knew it would be technical sciences, but I didn’t understand which ones. That’s why I enrolled in applied mathematics. There’s a lot of freedom there: you can do development, or fundamental research.

    In my third year, I met my academic supervisor. Yuri Alekseevich Budkov, and since then I have been engaged in science continuously, already in a specific direction – physical chemistry. This is a science in which chemical phenomena are explained with the help of physics. That is, it is physics and chemistry in one bottle.

    What am I studying?

    Double electric layer. This is a structure that forms at the metal-electrolyte boundary. It consists of a dense layer and a diffuse layer of ions. In a first approximation, the double layer can be represented as a flat capacitor with a capacitance C, which can store energy by accumulating a charge. Double electric layer is the main technology used in supercapacitors. These are new modern energy storage devices. Existing classical double layer models do not take into account many physical factors that prevent the application of these models to real physical and chemical systems, so there is a need to create new theoretical models that would allow for the correct assessment of, for example, the capacity of the double layer, since it is quite difficult to measure it experimentally.

    My first scientific work…

    …happened in the third year. During industrial practice, and then in my bachelor’s thesis, we studied a porous carbon material of the CMK-3 type: we estimated its differential electrical capacity and elastic deformation, then we compared our developed model with the experiment, and obtained good agreement.

    In the next work, already a master’s thesis, we came up with another model of the double electric layer. If earlier we did not take into account the influence of the solvent, that is, our permittivity was constant, then the next time we used an explicit polar solvent – water. This means that an equation was solved for the permittivity, and it changed with the distance from the electrode.

    We approximated the experimental data on differential electric capacity using our model. In it, we took into account all modern aspects of the theory of the double electric layer. For example, the hydrate radius, specific interactions, dielectric decrement, the effect of excluded volume. And based on the obtained parameters, we predicted the differential electric capacity for other concentrations.

    We also found out the influence of specific interactions on the differential electric capacity. Specific interactions are either repulsion or attraction of the hydrated ion and water. We found out that when the specific interactions change from repulsion to attraction, the peak of differential electric capacity decreases. This result was obtained for the first time.

    What I am proud of

    My bachelor’s and master’s degrees, because they resulted in publications in scientific journals – Europhysics Letters and ChemPhysChem respectively. In the second publication, devoted to the modeling of the double electric layer within the framework of the self-consistent field theory at the metal-electrolyte interface, I am listed as the first author for the first time in my scientific career.

    I am very proud of myself – that despite all the trials and difficulties that I had to overcome, I still retained the desire to do science and achieved results that are significant for me. I am very persistent.

    I have been living on my own since I was 18, and I had to work a lot during my entire bachelor’s degree. The first two years were especially hard because I had to combine studying with a hard, low-paying job. It got easier in my third year because Covid started. Everything was closed, there was no work, but I was paid a small salary. In addition, in my third year, I received my first money for science. This raised my morale. And I didn’t have to study in person: until the end of my fourth year, I studied completely online.

    I am currently studying on a single track “Master’s degree – postgraduate study”, and I am paid a stipend. In addition, I work as a research intern at the Laboratory of Computational Physics of MIEM HSE and teach physics in the educational programs “Applied Mathematics” and “Informatics and Computer Engineering”.

    What I dream about

    I don’t really believe in dreams. For me, it’s something unrealistic and unrealistic – like riding a unicorn. I believe in setting goals and achieving them. Actually, that’s how it works out for me in life. But if you really need a dream, then have a funny one. I want no scientist to have to write reports according to GOST.

    What is my goal?

    Defend a PhD dissertation.

    I would like to defend my thesis in physical chemistry, not applied mathematics. I am still working on it, because studying chemistry is very difficult. There is a lot of new knowledge, especially in quantum chemistry and physical chemistry. But I try to constantly learn something new. For example, I recently went to Veliky Novgorod for a workshop on quantum chemistry, where I built my first molecules.

    Science is a system of values that can help you live a good life.

    I believe that the fundamental principle of scientific knowledge is honesty.

    Few people can live without love. It doesn’t matter what kind – romantic, friendly, family. For me, science is love. Every person lives for happiness. Jung, I think, also wrote that happiness is the highest value. And in order for me to be happy, I need to study science.

    If I hadn’t become a scientist

    It’s hard for me to imagine myself as anything other than a scientist. But if I had to choose, I’d probably become a doctor. I really like helping people, and I also like chemistry. Or I could become a chemical engineer, for example, in pharmaceuticals.

    Who would I like to meet?

    With Marie Skłodowska-Curie. She is the first woman to win the Nobel Prize. And the first person in history to receive two Nobel Prizes – in physics and chemistry. I would like to know the secrets of her ability to work. She had a rather difficult life, especially at the beginning of her career. I would like to know how it affected her, what her strength is. She impresses me so much that I visited her grave in Paris, and I always have a book with her biography at home.

    How my typical day is structured

    I wake up not very early, walk the dog. And then I go to work. My working day usually lasts at least 10 hours. In particular, I devote a lot of time to preparing for seminar classes. We need to publish a scientific article soon, and the calculations for it take a lot of time. They have to be done 10-15 times, double-checking every letter in the code, because if you make a mistake somewhere, the results will be non-physical or illogical.

    Do I get burnout?

    Yes, and often, but I don’t fight it. I have too many obligations. It’s gotten a little easier lately because I turned to my supervisor for help: he gives me the opportunity to rest. Although I don’t really believe in rest. I believe that you need to work constantly and that work is the meaning of life.

    What conferences have I attended?

    Recently I went to the Chinese city of Qingdao. I wanted to limit myself to a poster, but I was invited to give an oral report. For the first time I did it in English. It was so scary that the paper in my hands was visibly shaking. But everything went well. After the presentation, Chinese colleagues came up to me and asked questions.

    I was also in Portugal, in Costa da Caparica, at a small conference of a small scientific community. It was very warm. I have amazing memories of it. On the last evening, the organizers brought a big cauldron, poured moonshine into it, set it on fire, stirred it and read a spell in Gallic. It was against witches, evil spirits and simply for happiness. You drink a glass and become a happy person for a year.

    What else am I passionate about?

    Now I spend a lot of time studying theoretical chemistry. I also take speed reading courses. I read with a metronome and have already become faster – two touches of the line with my gaze are enough for me.

    I’m also studying French. So far, quite unsuccessfully – I speak with an accent and forget that I can’t pronounce the endings. Again, this is connected with my dream of living and studying in Paris.

    What was the last thing I read?

    “It’s Me, Eddie” by Eduard Limonov. I really like Limonov – his ambiguity. I accidentally bought his book “Taming the Tiger in Paris”. I periodically buy a huge number of books and do not read them, because there is no time. But Limonov immediately captivated me. It is very difficult for me to read a lot, because my attention floats, and I swallowed “Taming the Tiger” in two days. I liked the style so much that now I am reading a book on theoretical chemistry, which is written in a style similar to Limonov’s. The author of this book is Denis Tikhonov, a fairly well-known scientist, the founder of the public “Theoretical Chemistry” on VKontakte. There is also a chat for chemists, mainly quantum chemists. I am a member of it, read articles that colleagues send there, reasoning. I do not understand anything, but I hope that one day I will.

    Advice to a young scientist

    You need to find yourself not just a scientific supervisor, but a teacher who will pass on to you not only his scientific knowledge, but also the values that he shares, knowledge about life and will be able to support you morally. Everything depends on the scientific supervisor: where you publish, what and how you do, what conferences you attend. Of course, you also have to be persistent. For example, all the foreign conferences that I attended, I found myself, applied for them and paid for them.

    Also, don’t be afraid to promote yourself wherever you can. Don’t be afraid to seek out scholarships, opportunities, conferences – anything that will help you in your scientific career.

    Favorite place in Moscow

    The “World of Vinyl” store in Kitay-gorod. I love vinyl, I have a very large collection of records. It is very diverse – from Vivaldi to “Ranetki”. I love going to this store and usually do not leave without buying anything. Everything I buy, I then regularly listen to, except for the special edition of Radiohead’s “OK Computer”, which I feel sorry to unpack.

    Lately I’ve been listening to Ariana Grande’s album “Eternal Sunshine” and the band MGMT. They have a song called “Little Dark Age”. It’s a little mainstream, but I still like it.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Internship of KRSU teachers at the Polytechnic

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    As part of cooperation between the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, an educational internship was held for the heads of KRSU educational programs. The main goal was to study modern approaches to designing educational programs, implementing innovative teaching methods and developing partnerships with industrial enterprises.

    The internship participants held a series of working meetings with the staff of the Directorate of Basic Educational Programs of SPbPU, where they discussed current trends in higher education, the specifics of developing new educational standards, and the model of multi-track engineering training. Of particular interest were issues of network interaction in the implementation of educational programs and the organization of students’ project activities.

    A significant part of the program was devoted to familiarization with the advanced infrastructure of SPbPU. KRSU teachers visited the laboratories of the Physics and Mathematics Institute, where Acting Director Nikolay Ivanov demonstrated them unique equipment: wind tunnels, installations for studying hydrodynamic processes and modern research stands. At the Civil Engineering Institute, the participants got acquainted with the laboratories of additive technologies in construction and road construction materials, as well as the innovative educational space “MetaCampus Polytech”.

    An important component of the internship was participation in the Youth Career Forum, where KRSU teachers were able to study effective mechanisms of interaction between the university and potential employers. The participants immersed themselves in the working atmosphere and improved their cross-professional competencies. This experience is especially valuable for the development of the graduate employment system in Kyrgyzstan.

    The final stage was the final certification, at which colleagues from KRSU presented the developed educational programs, highlighting their competitive advantages, listing the industrial partners involved and describing the employment prospects of graduates. The defense took place in the presence of the assistant of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Vadim Smirnov, acting rector of KRSU Sergey Volkov, representatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, vice-rector for educational activities of SPbPU Lyudmila Pankova and vice-rector for international activities Dmitry Arsenyev.

    Lyudmila Pankova noted: “The implemented approach to the public presentation of the educational program allows us to look at it more comprehensively, evaluate the competitive advantages of the program in the context of the challenges of the modern labor market, and analyze the resource capabilities of the university for training in-demand specialists.”

    The internship significantly deepened Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation in the field of engineering education, providing KRSU teachers with valuable experience that will contribute to the modernization of educational programs and the introduction of advanced practices into the university’s educational process. The knowledge and contacts gained open up new prospects for the development of academic mobility and joint educational projects between the two universities.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Interior finishing work has begun at the educational and scientific center of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies of NSU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    In the educational and scientific center of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies (IMMT) of NSU, which is one of the second-stage facilities modern campus of NSU, which is being built within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children”, the interior decoration of the premises has begun. Work is underway to insulate the building, install partitions, lay the floor, and level the walls. In the building of the UNC IMMT NSU, an atrium skylight and mirrored ventilated facades have already been installed. In the near future, it is planned to prepare the space for the placement of laboratory equipment. The technical readiness of the facility has exceeded 30%.

    — In 2024-2025, we began implementing a large-scale program to transform medical education at the university, whose history goes back more than 20 years. We created the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies, received a license for new educational programs: bachelor’s degree in the direction of “Medical Cybernetics” and a master’s degree in the direction of “Industrial Pharmacy”. These are network programs that we implement jointly with the Engineering School of Moscow State University. The new educational and scientific center of the NSU IMMT will create the infrastructure to bring medical education to a fundamentally new level, increase the number of students – more than 700 people will be able to study in the new building, and conduct research in advanced biomedical areas, – commented the rector of NSU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk.

    The building of the NSU IMMT UNC will house 8 laboratories in various fields, including molecular pharmacology, metabolomic research, medical chemistry, molecular virology and oncology, etc. It is important to note that the project for the development of medical education and scientific research at NSU “Creation of a center for the integration of personalized biomedicine, pharmacy and synchrotron, binary technologies” received support within the framework of the “Priority 2030” program.

    The construction of the NSU research center, which is also a second-stage facility, continues. The work on laying walls and partitions is 75% complete, the installation of stained glass windows and the installation of an external ventilated facade is 2/3 complete. The technical readiness of the facility is 28%.

    The general contractor for the construction of the second stage of the facilities is the company “MONOTEK STROY”.

    Let us recall that, on the instructions of President Vladimir Putin, a network of modern campuses is being created in Russia. By 2030, a constellation of 25 campuses should appear in the country. Work in this area is being carried out by the Government of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. Currently, 24 such campuses are being designed and built with the support of the national project “Youth and Children”. One of them has already been completely built in Moscow on the basis of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. By 2036, the number of campuses will increase to 40. The project is being financed from the federal and regional budgets, as well as from extra-budgetary sources.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces New DDS Commissioner

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) Board of Directors has approved Angelique McClendon as the Commissioner of DDS, effective May 1. McClendon has been serving the department as General Counsel and Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, where she has been a subject matter expert on all legal and regulatory issues relating to the agency’s statutory responsibilities. She will succeed Spencer Moore, who has dedicated over 30 years of service to the people of our state.

    “On behalf of hardworking Georgians, I want to congratulate Angelique McClendon on her promotion to Commissioner of the Department of Driver Services,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “With an extensive career serving both DDS and the people of our state, I know she will be a great asset in ensuring that those who interact with one of our most prominent state agencies have an efficient and smooth experience.”

    “Marty, the girls, and I also want to thank Spencer Moore for his many years of service to our state,” continued Governor Kemp. “His efforts as DDS Commissioner have helped grow our nationally-ranked logistics network, put state government’s best foot forward when serving the hardworking people of Georgia, and modernize operations at an agency that directly interacts with citizens in every community of our state.”

    Angelique McClendon will become Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) on May 1, 2025. She first joined DDS as General Counsel in 2015 and was later promoted to Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Legal and Regulatory Affairs. Her legal career began in 2005 as an Assistant Solicitor in DeKalb County. From 2008 to 2015, McClendon served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia. McClendon has provided legal guidance on several large-scale state initiatives and modernization efforts, including Georgia’s Digital Driver’s License. She has served in leadership roles with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, where she helped create national policy and track trends related to driver’s license administration and identity management.

    McClendon is a proud mother of two, a native of Decatur, and a Rockdale County resident. She graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and earned her Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU held a telethon with colleagues from the National University of Uzbekistan

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Novosibirsk State University held a telethon with colleagues from the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek “Heroes of Science and the Front: Memory of Teachers and Scientists”, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    The telethon was organized by partners in the Consortium of Researchers of the History of North and Central Asian Countries, the Humanitarian Institute of NSU and the Faculty of History of the Mirzo Ulugbek National University of Uzbekistan.

    Opening the meeting, Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences Andrey Zuyev emphasized: “A lot of time has passed, but we must not forget about this, the most grandiose event of the 20th century for our history. Representatives of all peoples and social groups of the Soviet Union took part in the war. And our event is dedicated to preserving the memory of the teachers and scientists who contributed to the common Victory.”

    Professor of the National University of Uzbekistan, Doctor of Historical Sciences Akhmadjon Khalikulov, who spoke in response, shared the same point of view.

    The telethon program opened with a report by Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Vyacheslav Molodin, “Scientists of Siberia on the Front of the Great Patriotic War and in the Post-War Period,” which became the basis for a chapter in a collective monograph on this topic, prepared by the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences.

    He recalled that during the war, many scientists were already working in Novosibirsk, where the Novosibirsk Committee of Scientists was created in early 1942, with Academician S.A. Chaplygin becoming its honorary chairman. A year later, a branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences was formed, consisting of the following institutes: Mining and Geology, Transport and Energy, Chemical and Metallurgical, and Medical and Biological.

    “Among the priority tasks facing the institutes of the Siberian branch of the Academy of Sciences was the use of natural resources of the Urals and Siberia in the interests of the country’s defense, since many sources of strategic raw materials ended up in enemy-occupied territories,” Molodin said. And, as the academician showed in his report, the geologists successfully coped with it.

    It is difficult to overestimate the contribution to the victory of the future founders of Akademgorodok. Mikhail Alekseevich Lavrentyev developed the theory of cumulation and decoding the actions of cumulative shells, on the basis of which a number of effective anti-tank ammunition was created, which played, among other things, a significant role in the outcome of the Battle of Kursk. The research of Sergei Alekseevich Khristianovich helped to increase the accuracy of shooting of another important class of weapons of that war – multiple launch rocket systems. The third co-founder of Akademgorodok Sergei Lvovich Sobolev worked on the development of computational mathematics during the war, and the results of his work later found expression in the successful implementation of the atomic and space projects of the Soviet Union.

    Many of the future famous scientists of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences went through the Great Patriotic War as soldiers and officers of the Red Army. Among them were the founder of the Institute of Nuclear Physics G.I. Budker, the founder of the Institute of Semiconductor Physics A.V. Rzhanov, one of the founders of the Institute of Thermal Physics S.S. Kutateladze, the author of the famous experiment on domesticating foxes and one of those who revived genetics in the USSR D.K. Belyaev, the future founder of the Physics and Mathematics School and one of the fathers of Soviet cybernetics A.A. Lyapunov and many others, whose names were also mentioned in Academician Molodin’s report.

    Also, as part of the telethon, PhD in History Stanislav Egorov presented a digital exhibition “From the War Fronts to the Scientific and Teaching Front: NSU Humanities Scientists — Participants in the Great Patriotic War.”

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –